Student Experiences

The Global Urbanism MASc is giving me so many new ways to think about cities – different perspectives on London and new insights into the urban processes that are important elsewhere. It’s challenged a lot of my assumptions, and I'm finding that it's helping me think critically about my own practice as well as opening up new vistas.  Just in the first term we visited the Alton Estate to talk about its People’s Plan, discussed housing policy and delivery with a politician, an architect and a GLA housing strategist, heard from a visiting professor about community collaboration in Cape Town, explored master planning on the Carpenters Estate, delved into the rebel archives at Elephant & Castle’s 56a Infoshop, thought about apartheid through art at the RA’s William Kentridge exhibition, learnt from tenant organisations about the fight for housing justice, and wrote our own manifesto – and studied Skardu, Kingston and Johannesburg!  It’s inspiring to meet academics so passionate about their subjects, and practitioners and activists so driven by their belief that a better, fairer city is possible.  Jen Storan, MASc Global Urbanism student (part-time) and Senior Project Manager at Meanwhile Space CIC