Courses at the DPU
Introduction to Courses
MPhil/ PhD
MSc Development and Planning
	MSc Building and Urban Design in Development
	MSc Development Administration and Planning
	MSc Environment and Sustainable Development
	MSc Social Development Practice
	MSc Urban Development Planning
	MSc Urban Economic Development
Short Courses
Application Procedure

MSc Building and Urban Design in Development

A one year post graduate course at University College London

Course Director
Camillo Boano B.Arch, MSc (Polytechnic of Turin), MSc (Loughborough), PhD (Oxford-Brookes)

Course Coordinator
Isis Nunez Ferrera BSc (Hons) Architecture, MSc Building and Urban Design in Development (London)

• Introduction
• Course Structure
• Core Modules
• Optional Modules
• Staff
• Learning Outcomes
• Course Information
• Application Procedure

Introduction

The creation or modification of urban built environments that are socially acceptable, economically affordable and environmentally sustainable, pose an immense challenge for architects, builders, engineers, planners and other professionals. There is an urgent need for radically new approaches to space formation and transformation and ways of working and creative engaging with design in order to respond to rapidly growing urban populations.

For the first time in history, more than half of humankind lives in urban areas. While such urban growth is substantially transforming the planet, cities are shaped by liberalisation of policies and exogenous transformative marked lead forces that increment vulnerabilities of urban poor’s and marginalised communities.

On the other hand climate change and unpredictable and extreme events tend to be concentrated disproportionally in poorer urban districts with the least adequate provision for protective infrastructure and services. The principal driver of increasing loss of life as well as social and economic vulnerability is poverty (limiting individual, household and community investments) and exclusion (limiting public investments and services).

The result of these global, national and local processes is that cities, the planning of cities, and the design of urban spaces has become increasingly fragmented, while inequality and vulnerabilities have increased. Architects, town planners and other professionals concerned with the urban design are trained mainly to cater to the needs of a minority of the population. Rarely are they trained to address the problems of the poor, illegal or unplanned settlements, the absence of basic urban services, unhealthy and deteriorating environmental conditions, including natural disasters and extremely constrained resources. Elitist and compartmentalised education has inhibited opportunities for developing comprehensive and well co-ordinated approaches to urban development, which are of benefit to the majority of the population. Nor are they equipped to understand the complexities of market forces that drive real estate development and so are rarely able to participate in urban regeneration projects other than as style consultants, when they should be in the forefront of the emerging urban era, guiding urban development and design.

Objectives of the Course

The course aims to present a holistic process of design for development in cities within this context. It combines an examination and analysis of economic, social, cultural and spatial elements in the production of urban form and building with the principles of designing for development, which include affordability, acceptability, sustainability, participation and responsiveness. In particular, it links the methods and practice of 'design' with the complementary 'developmental' processes of action area identification, client promotion, stakeholder participation and project implementation.

Participants and Career Opportunities

BUDD is intended for professionals wanting to work on urban local area transformations, urban design, architecture and the improvement of neighbourhood infrastructure and services. BUDD focuses on taking a community-oriented, participatory approach to spatial design.
BUDD students have very varied educational and/or professional backgrounds and come from a wide range of nationalities. Indeed, such interdisciplinarity and multiculturalism are actively encouraged by the course, as we believe that they contribute to the richness and added value of the experience of studying at the DPU.

Although not limited to architects, it is aimed at those professionals who are (or would like to be) engaged with the built environment. BUDD focuses on taking a community-oriented, participatory approach to spatial design.

The skills that the BUDD Course provides arise directly from these objectives and include a wide range of participatory design and decision-making tools. The theoretical and empirical framework that underpins the course is covered by the modules of the first term, which are extended to a more practical sphere during the second term, but are really brought into their own during the practical field project in the third term. This important component of the course is part of the taught course which is also designed to apply and practice the learning of the first two terms. During the Course, practical design exercises are also carried out through the BUDD Studio to help develop the more conventional analytical, urban design and architectural skills of students.

The average number of students on the course each year is approximately fifteen women and men, facilitating positive learning and a close working relationship with members of staff.

The course equips and expects graduates to be able to work in NGOs or in local government – facilitating community organisations and households to improve their living conditions. 
There is enormous variety in the work BUDD graduates get into after the course. This ranges from work with UK-based organizations in the public, private and community sectors which focus on local as well as international development, architectural and urban design firms, to governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations which operate in a development capacity in the South. Recent BUDD graduates have also been employed by international NGOs and Aid and Development Agencies.

There is also variety in the geographic location of BUDD alumni: some decide to return to their home countries with the additional MSc qualification and knowledge and engage in the practice, teaching or research of urban development, urban design and architecture practice there; alternatively, former students have successfully sought employment in international development organisations away from their own countries.

back to top

Course Structure

The course is structured so that 75% of the taught components of the course are devoted to the core subjects of building and urban design; and 25% to a specialist option chosen from those available in DPU or the Bartlett. The core course modules provide the theoretical and methodological components of the course while the specialist modules allow students to examine different approaches and problems in accordance with their own particular interests.

The practical module in the first term offers the student the possibility to be engaged in a studio-type exercise: a project-based module that aims to provide an opportunity for students to acquire relevant concepts and skills relating to development, urban design and building construction, as well as more general skills such as verbal, written and visual presentation, analysis and synthesis, and to test the theory of building and urban design through practice.

The course involves fieldwork (undertaken in recent years in India, Turkey, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Malta, Cuba, Lebanon, Cyprus, Malaysia and Pakistan), and an urban design exercise and design charrette in London, that allows students to put into practice some of the tools and techniques acquired during the course. In addition to the taught and fieldwork components, the course entails the preparation of an individual dissertation report during the summer, on a topic selected by the student. The course consists of reading, essay writing and individual and group project work, in the context of lectures, seminars, workshops, analysis of case studies and the field trip. Student performance is assessed through course work, examinations, and a dissertation report.

In further trying to present students with practical, real-life planning issues of the South, during the First Term (November) students attend an in-house 3-day workshop in Cumberland Lodge, Windsor with the rest of the DPU student body. This is a unique experience to work on an ongoing case study with experts from the field and, at the same time, socialise with other students. Moreover, since 2007, in the second term students attend an intensive Building workshop in Wales at the Centre for Alternative Technology leaded by Prof. Maurice Mitchell.

The Dissertation Report

In addition to the taught and fieldwork components, the course entails the preparation of an individual report (60 credits on a topic selected by the student).

Recent BUDD Student Reports have included:

The Sustainability of the Low-Density residential areas in the context of Chihuahua

Abuja Crisis: Adoption of the United Kingdom’s Affordable Housing Obligation as the way forward

Urban Discourses – The Language of Public Spaces: the case of Rome
Remittances’ Landscape: A View to Collective Remittances and Housing in Mexico

Urban Design and Divided Cities: The Case of Berlin and its recent urban transformations

Out of Place: Planning for Social and Spatial Belonging Politics of Transformation of Space: The Urban Reinvention of Ground Zero

Win-Win Model: Conservation of Built Heritage in Earthquake Recovery. A Case Study of the Er’wang Temple in Sichuan China

Exploring the Role of Community Participation in the Management of Historic Centres. The Case Study of the Historic Centre of Tegucigalpa

Practice and the Corrupt City: The Challenge of Being a Development Practitioner in Mumbai

The Feasibility Study of the Reconstruction of Dujiangyan City using the Transit oriented Development Approach after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Delivering a Socially Oriented Approach in Urban waterfront Regeneration.

The Case of Istanbul: “City on Water”

Explorations on Heritage Meanings: People, Memory and Place

An investigation into the provision of low-income Housing in Abuja: Through Public-Private Partnerships

Urbanization and Ethno-national Conflicted Urban Space: Urban Policies & Spatial Strategies Transforming the Palestinian Villages space in East Jerusalem

Conservation of Urban Heritage in Global Cities through Building Control Regulations and Conservation Policies. Case Study of the Palace of Westminster

Pro Poor Coastal Development in Hazardous Locations. Case Study: Landless Community of Koh Muk – Floating Community of Koh Muk

Large Scale Urban Projects and Dual City: The Case of Rio de Janeiro and Bogota

Beyond Memory. Revitalising Built Heritage with a case Study in Chengdu, China

The Crucial Roles of Good Urban Governance in the Regional Planning of Southeast China

Facing up to Political Dimensions: A Sustainable livelihoods analysis of the housing revolution in Caracas

Alternative Approach to Urban Sustainable Development: Compact City Strategy in Beijing

The Growing Problem of Forced Evictions and Importance of Community Based Alternatives in Urban Regeneration Project

The Study on Evaluating the Model of Eco-villages Project in Taiwan

Sustainable Construction: A view to as Sustainable Future

Sustainable livelihood development on the ‘Building Socialist New Countryside’ programme in Beijing: an overview of three typical projects

Community Based heritage Management as a Means of Community Building

Residential Regeneration - Mixed-use Housing Blocks in the Historic Centre of Mexico City - A Review of Urban Intervention Projects

The Development of Brasilia’s Urban Space: Utopia + Reality

A Piece of City Returned to the City - The Urban Space

An Examination of the Use of Public Open Spaces in Low Income Urban Settlements in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A Landmark Building in Beirut, a New Image for the City of War

A Participatory Framework for Basic Urban Infrastructure Provision
Conservation Policy for Historical Nablus, Palestine: Promoting Sustainable Development

Core Modules

TRANSFORMING LOCAL AREAS: URBAN DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT (BENVGBU1)

The module provides a structured understanding of the forces that shape and develop cities, particularly in developing countries. It also provides an opportunity for students to develop a common vocabulary and set of concepts with which to analyse, understand and explain the form, structure, process and dynamics of urban areas.

This module explores the form, formation and functioning of cities in order to gain an understanding of the shape, size and structure of cities especially in the context of developing countries. It traces the influence of historical, physical, natural and cultural aspects as well as that of economic and institutional forces on the origins and spatial development of cites. It reviews fundamental concepts of urban studies, urbanism and urban design adopting a multidimensional and multidisciplinary vision.

It will introduce the role of urban design, its potential and its problematic both from a theoretical and a practical point of views.

The module take focus both on the macro scale as well as a more localised way to understanding the intricate processes by which people design their own places and spaces, how they sustain yet adapt local technologies, traditions and livelihoods, and how they deploy innate capacities to adapt, cope and confront to macro-transformations. It also explores different methods of urban analysis and representations as tool to develop an appropriate urban understanding of form and transformations.

The module helps students to develop appropriate responses to the following key questions: Why are cities shaped and structured the way they are? What are the multiple and complex forces that shape and transform cities? What is a “good” city, and how might we design such a city? What is urban design – and how can it be used to help develop cities based on criteria of community, sustainability and livelihoods?

On completion students will have:

Been introduced to concepts of urban space, in all its manifestations, including buildings, infrastructure, open spaces and landscapes.

Gained knowledge of the ways in which human activities shape and influence their spatial environment, and how the physical environment in turn affects and influences human activity.

Got an understanding of the specific complexity of circumstances and constraints to which urban design has to respond in the context of global cities.

Developed a methodology and framework for multidimensional approach to urban design for development.

Understood how to develop strategies and sound proposals for new urban areas and the upgrading of existing ones, in ways that are socially and culturally acceptable, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES: BUILDING FOR DEVELOPMENT (BENVGBU2)

This module introduces the theories and concepts of participatory approaches and the processes in development and practice. Their utility, justification and application to the processes of urban transformation (upgrading, regeneration, revitalisation, conservation and development) are explored, especially in the context of populations vulnerable to disasters and conflicts. These processes are then related to current agendas of development practices, and a guide to good practice is developed.

The objective of the module is to provide students with a structured understanding of the issues, concepts, tools and techniques relating to participatory processes, and approaches for the development of urban areas in developing countries, with a special focus on responses to crises brought on by natural hazards and conflicts. By the end of the module the student should have a working knowledge of current participatory practices and be able to design and develop appropriate processes for the urban built environment, including, shelter, services & utilities.

Students undertake assignments that are designed to afford an opportunity for students to explore and respond to some of these issues in a given context.

On completion students will have:

Been introduced to concepts of the urban built environment, in all its manifestations, including buildings, infrastructure, open spaces and landscape.

Gained knowledge of the ways in which building activities shape and influence their spatial environment, and how the built environment in turn affects and influences human activity.

Got an understanding of the specific complexity of circumstances and constraints to which building design has to respond in the context of developing countries.

Developed a methodology and framework for a professional approach to building for development.

THE BUDD STUDIO (BENVGBU3)

This is a Studio-based module designed to provide an opportunity for students to test theories through practice. The central learning element is the project – a proposal designed by the students in response to a given brief or set of instructions. However, instead of the project acting merely as an opportunity for students to apply or test what they have learnt and know, it is deliberately used as a vehicle to help articulate what students do not know, and therefore acts as the generator of demand for knowledge and needs for skills. The module is run over three terms. It explores four principal areas of work as follows:

On completion students will have:
Gained first-hand experience and knowledge of the ways in which development activities shape and influence their spatial environment, and how the built environment in turn affects and influences human activity.

Got an understanding of the practical implications of the specific complexity of circumstances and constrains to which building design has to respond in the context of developing countries.

Developed a methodology and framework for a professional approach to building and urban design for development.

Understood how to develop strategies and sound proposals for the development and upgrading of urban areas, in ways that are socially and culturally acceptable, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

Been introduced to the basic concepts of development and governance.

Optional Modules

HOUSING POLICY, PROGRAMME AND PROJECT ALTERNATIVES (BENVGBU4)
This option provides a thorough understanding of the development of ideas and polices upon which current approaches to the production, maintenance and management of housing for urban low-income groups are based. It examines the meaning of housing as both product and process through the analysis of strategies for participatory self-help housing delivery and slum rehabilitation and upgrading. It reviews and contrasts the range of different management styles for the implementation of low-income housing programmes and their implications in terms of professional and technical skill needs and project management techniques.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN CITIES (BENVGBU6) – 15 Credits

The Module operates in one part, and needs to be taken in conjunction with Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South (BENVESD5). The module provides a detailed examination and structured understanding of Disaster Studies and Disaster Risk Reduction, with a specific reference to urban areas. It also provides an opportunity for students to develop a common vocabulary and set of concepts with which to analyse, understand and explain disasters, vulnerabilities and risks related to climate change adaptation scenarios.

With a specific focus on built environment and urban areas, it assesses patterns of vulnerability and how these are spatially and socially distributed, and analyses the potential for effective vulnerability reduction and resilience building involving a variety of stakeholders at a range of scales. Throughout, there is a focus on the implications for vulnerable groups within societies, and their coping capacities.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

The first option URBAN POLICY, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: STRATEGIC ACTION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (BENVGPU1) explores the economic, social and physical transformation and restructuring of cities in the wider context of development and globalisation. In assessing the challenges this poses for urban development planning, the roles and relations of actors in civil society, the public and private sectors are examined in theory and practice. The institutional and organisation frameworks in which they operate are reviewed, while investigating access to and control over financial, human and physical resources in the context of contemporary urban development planning practice.

The second option GLOBALISATION AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: THE CHANGING CONTEXT OF PLANNING (BENVGPU2) explores strategic action in urban development policy, planning and management which recognizes social justice in cities. In this light, it reviews the evolution of urban development interventions and defines the theoretical and methodological challenges which face contemporary urban development in different parts of the world. To this end, it also assesses a range of cases of urban development practice, drawing out their contribution to the current debates on strategic action towards social justice in urban development policy, planning and management. Finally, it explores the implications of these debates for problem diagnosis, participation, organizational development and ‘public learning’ in strategic urban action.

A third option GENDER IN POLICY AND PLANNING (BENVGPU4) (BENVGPU4) examines gender relations in the socio-economic, political and environmental processes in the development of human settlements. In doing so, it highlights the intersection of gender with other social relations, examining diversity and difference in human settlements. In assessing the challenge this poses for urban development planning, the institutionalisation of gender equality in policy, planning and management of human settlements are explored. Gender relations in a range of development sectors are assessed and the conditions for gender mainstreaming in these sectors discussed.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The first option THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE (BENVGES1)offers a comprehensive review of the contemporary debate on development and environmental sustainability. It further provides participants with a critical understanding of environmental conflicts, and of various approaches to environmental governance, the policy process, the mechanisms and the key agents involved.

The second option URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPMENT (BENVGES2)) participants learn to identify environmental problems in urban areas and their underlying causes and how to go about applying environmental planning and management to solve these problems to move towards sustainable development.

The third option URBAN AGRICULTURE
 (BENVSGES4) combines in a unique way Yves Cabannes’ expertise in urban agriculture and participatory governance in all regions of the world, with Robert Biel’s research on the global political economy and experiments as a practising agriculturalist. The module is experimental and participatory: the new theory/practice is still not defined, and students will be actively involved in creating it.

The fourth option Adapting Cities to Climate Change in the Global South (BENVESD5) need to be taken in conjunction DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN CITIES (BENVGBU6) and provides a detailed examination of the impacts of climate change in urban areas. With a specific focus on towns and cities in low- and middle-income nations, it assesses patterns of vulnerability and how these are spatially and socially distributed, and analyses the potential for effective adaptation involving a variety of stakeholders at a range of scales. Throughout, there is a focus on the implications for vulnerable groups within societies, particularly the urban poor, women, and children.

Staff

Dr Camillo Boano, Course Director

Dr Cassidy Johnson

Dr Pushpa Arabindoo

Professor Nabeel Hamdi

Jorge Fiori

Ruth McLeod

Isis Nunez Ferrera, Course Coordinator

Learning Outcomes

The BUDD Course Provides

Knowledge And Understanding Of:

Teaching/Learning Methods And Strategies:

Seminars, lectures and work in small teams (both inside and outside the classroom)

Integrative 2-3 day workshops.

Visits to specific London sites and projects

Subject-specific academic skills sessions

Overseas fieldtrip to a developing country and subsequent Report

Assessment:

Students are assessed through a variety of methods: unseen examinations, individual essays (typically 1,000 to 3,000 words in length), course work, team work reports, oral presentations and a 10,000 word report.

Intellectual (Thinking) Skills:

The programme aims to help students:

Teaching/Learning Methods And Strategies:

Acquisition of skills 1 and 5 fostered in all modules, report work and other course activities (e.g. workshops and fieldtrip) that require understanding and responding to the basic needs of the urban poor and to the diverse demands of the more affluent in society, the conservation of historic built heritage, the high costs and intrinsic value of urban land, the scarcity of public sector resources, the delivery of infrastructure and services, with a particular focus on developing countries.

Assessment:

Unseen examinations, individual essays (from 1,000 to 3,000 words in length) and course work, team work reports and a report.

Practical Skills (able to):

The programme aims to help students:

Teaching/Learning Methods And Strategies:

Assessment:

1-6: Unseen examinations, individual essays (from 1,000 to 3,000 words in length) and course work, team work reports, oral presentations and a report; 7: not assessed

Transferable Skills (able to):

The programme encourages students to:

Teaching/Learning Methods And Strategies:

Course Information

Course dates

The course commences in September each year and lasts for 12 calendar months. Students who cannot devote a whole year to full-time study may enrol part-time over a maximum of five years.

Entrance Qualifications

Candidates should have a first degree, awarded by a university or polytechnic, approved by University College London. Candidates who lack the required qualifications but have other relevant educational or professional experience may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

English language

Please note that all DPU courses are taught in English, therefore, you will have to show evidence of proficiency in the English language. There are a variety of English language qualifications that are acceptable.

Costs and fees

Tuition fees are fixed annually by University College London and are therefore subject to modification. The fee for this course for the 2008/09 academic year for overseas students is £15,500 and for European Union students £7,895. The fee covers the cost of all tuition and basic course costs, including field visits and the field trip overseas. Participants should allow approximately £915 per month to cover the cost of living, clothing, books and local travel in London.

Please click here for guidance on how to apply to this course.