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Overview

Course Prescription

Introduces site plan, land use development, urban design theories, urban morphology and how these principles apply to building form, land use and subdivision, the space between buildings, and urban landscape management. Students undertake site analysis to develop skills at differing scales for challenges such as housing provision and diversity in relation to heritage, cultural values, natural hazards and feasibility.

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to methods and techniques of site planning and design. It aims to link the theoretical issues related to urban form with the practice of urban design. Multidisciplinary research on urban form as a representation of power, knowledge, culture and society within and beyond urban communities, is essential for preparing urban design guidelines and proposals. While the primary focus will be on the physical and visual aspects of the city, the course will devote time to critical discussion of the major contemporary contexts of urbanism as well as of projects that develop and implement their theoretical positions. Transit-oriented development (TOD) aims to reorient cities around transit nodes to facilitate sustainable transport, densify station areas, and diversify functional composition. Through the application of various analytical tools to park and ride facilities in Auckland’s railway station areas, students will develop skills fundamental to carrying out TOD projects concerned with physical planning and urban design.

Workload Expectations

This course of 30 credits is assigned a student workload of 300 hours (divided into hours for lectures, seminars, tutorial, critiques, workshops and other teaching events as well as hours of independent research and study time undertaken by students outside the classroom). 

There is 70 hours of studio/seminars and 230 hours of self-directed study (~25 hours per week).

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at all studios to receive credit for components of the course. Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials, labs and studios will not be available as recordings. The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials. Attendance on campus is required for all of the presentations/exam. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course will be structured around two interrelated themes: the analytical methods used to study a particular site and the graphic techniques needed for representing its plan and design. The class will be divided into lectures, skill-development sessions and tutorials. Lectures will introduce theories and analytical tools related to site analysis. Urban Planning Tutorials sessions will provide an introduction to manual and digital graphic techniques, the vocabulary of urban planning and design, and provide feedback on studio assignments each week. Class reviews and studio consultations of design projects will help students to learn and exercise the basic graphic language of recording and communicating ideas in site analysis and design. 

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

Generally, the first session (9-10am or 9-11am) will involve lectures, seminars, and discussions. The 10am – 3pm or 11am – 3pm session is set aside for student presentations, tutorials, group and/or individual work and allocated critique (WIP crit) time where staff can assist you with your design thinking. Any field trips will be held during these session hours. Please note that the content of each studio session is subject to change as the semester progresses. Students are expected to be available for all contact time in our Studio.
Readings for each week will be included in the Weeks Module and are expected to be read prior to the following weeks lecture. All readings are also posted under ‘Readings List’ available at the start of the semester. I will also post extra readings in each weeks module.
You are required to attend each weeks studio and graded tasks or critiques require attendance to receive grades.  All coursework is mandatory to pass this course. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Additional Information on Assessment

A total grade of 50% or higher is required to pass this course.

Where a student faces unavoidable personal circumstances (e.g. illness or a death in the family) that mean the student is unable to submit a component of coursework, the student may apply for an extension.

Applications for extensions require that students complete the Extension of Time Application Form. The request is assessed by the Course coordinator and Director of Urban Planning. The student must apply no later than five days before the due date of the assignment. In case of extreme difficulty closer to the assignment deadline contact your course coordinator directly.

No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies. When an extension is granted, students are expected to submit evidence of work in progress on the original assignment due date to demonstrate what has been completed up to that date.

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type123

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.