Information for the student – Urban Design: Art, City, Society (currently being phased out)

The main objective of this master's degree is to equip students with the competences needed to work as a member of an urban design team and to gain a basic level of training for research in this field. As urban design is not a profession but a field of professional activity, it should not be mistaken for architecture or urban planning.
There is no professional association that determines the curricular content for a master's degree of this type or the competences, skills and knowledge that are needed for professional as an urban designer. However, in the framework of urban renewal strategies, the Urban Design Alliance has recently set parameters and established competences for the role of urban designer. These are the competences introduced in the various subjects of this master's degree.
The specific objectives are:

• To provide operational instruments for urban analysis and projection.
• To provide content for the construction of a critical perspective on the processes of city-making.
• To provide methodological tools for successful research.

Basic competences:
On completion of the degree, students will be able to:

• Apply the knowledge acquired during the course to problem-solving in multidisciplinary contexts.
• Integrate knowledge and tackle the complexity of formulating judgements giving due consideration to social and ethical responsibilities.
• Communicate knowledge to specialists and non-specialists.
• Demonstrate the learning skills acquired to facilitate further learning requiring a more independent and self-directed approach.

General competences:
Students will also be able to:

• Conduct assessments and studies.
• Recognize the processes of city-making.
• Formulate basic concepts of sustainability and design for everybody.
• Appreciate the importance of urban design and public art.
• Understand the complexity of public spaces and their configuration.
• Master basic concepts of art history and the history of the city.
• Demonstrate an ability to write papers, technical reports and monographs on a specific research problem.
• Master the procedures of scientific research.

Specific competences:
With regard to the specific applications of their knowledge, students will be able to:

• Formulate policies and their guiding principles.
• Understand the implications of participation and governance.
• Manage project assessment and monitoring.
• Manage the deployment of participatory processes.
• Manage the basic procedures of public space projects.
• Understand the difference between public space projects and research.