University of Nottingham
The MArch Sustainable Urban Design programme focuses on the design of urban areas and cities, and is research and project based.
It is intended to enhance the quality of our cities by creating a new relationship between innovative design and the latest theoretical research on the special structure of urban form, in order to respond to major opportunities and challenges.
The programme covers urban regeneration issues, public realm design, urban design theory and practice, sustainable urbanism theory, and applications with advanced technology and design tools. Students will acquire knowledge and develop the skills necessary to face contemporary cultural, historical, social, economic and environmental challenges, to achieve greater sustainability.
The course will assist students in developing problem-solving skills through creative urban design proposals. It provides an understanding of the complex relationship between spatial and design issues, and social and economic urban processes. It addresses urban design as a mode of research and practice that shapes urban environments, whether physical or not, and responds to urban issues.
Students will develop mechanisms and design tools, which can be effectively implemented to secure and deliver projects for the long-term benefit of a city and its people. The course emphasises the importance of design creativity, analytical skills, critical thinking and focuses on drawing, physical and computational modelling as a tool for analysis, exploration, communication and design.
Through its content, this course aims to:
- Establish a broad theoretical basis of debate.
- Encourage design experimentation and creativity.
- Apply theory and research methods to specific projects.
- Be environmentally aware and supportive to sustainable practices.
CURRENT RESEARCH
Urban revitalisation and regeneration; City centre living; Urban scale energy and environmental performance modelling; Urban energy micro-simulation; Sustainable urban forms; Conservation planning and design; Public realm; Urban change and urban identity; Housing for the elderly; Sustainable cities; Social and cultural sustainability; Vertical farming; 24-Hour cities.
