MOA270 Urban Design for Sustainable Mobility

Contents and structure

One of the greatest challenges of sustainable urban development is in reconciling the traditionally separate sectors of land use and transportation, which when well integrated have an enormous impact on the way we live and the way we move through our built environment. The creation of land-use and transport infrastructure integrated areas (i.e. transit-oriented development) fulfil environmental, economic and social sustainability goals by encouraging multi-modal travel via sustainable modalities by encouraging residential and commercial function densification around transit nodes. This synergy of urban design and infrastructure is also known to improve socio-spatial quality and livability of the area. 

In this course, students will gain fundamental theoretical knowledge to understand the relationship between urban design and transportation infrastructure, trained in spatial analytical methods to empirically identify and study this relationship with GIS, and apply knowledge and skills to a design project requiring land-use and transport integration to improve socio-spatial quality of the given area within the constraints of current spatial planning processes.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The student

• Has in-depth knowledge of the Planning and Building Act and other planning conditions.
• Has extensive knowledge of urban planning theory, place theory and design principles for land-use buildings and infrastructure.
• Has advanced knowledge of methods and possibilities for applying of spatial analyses. 

Skills

The student

• Can make thematic maps for assessment of defined questions and problem statements.
• Can present different views and theories linking road and street construction with city and land-use development.
• Can conduct spatial analyses as a knowledge base in municipal and land-use planning, and as a basis for impact assessment. 

General competence

The student

• Can apply spatial analyses as a tool for urban development in different situations and to diverging ends.
• Can communicate both with specialists and to the public about disciplinary planning problems, analyses and conclusions.

Entry requirements

The study's admission requirements.

Recommended previous knowledge

Yes.

Basic understanding to GIS, technical plan drawings and visualisation and creating maps is appreciated. Alternatively, attend the crash-courses at the start of the autumn period.

Teaching methods

Digital self-led lectures, interactive discussions and experiences combined with online tutorials and practicals

Project work to be conducted in groups.

Written and oral student presentations.

The course will be mostly self-led digitally and the important face-to-face instructions will be on intensive sessions during the semester.

Compulsory learning activities

• Student must submit all three draft group assignment parts on the deadlines indicated on the course guide.
• Student must pass all three exam components (assignment, digital exam and take-home exam) to get a final grade for the course.

Unless permission from the course coordinator is given;

• Student must complete the group assignment in a group (i.e more than one person). 
• Student must attend and present at the final presentation.

Assessment

Letter grade (A-F) are based on the following partial exams:

• A semester assignment (group work) of up to 5,000 words (40%).
• A multi-choice digital exam (20%)
• A 2-days take home, written exam (from 09:00 on day 1 to 14:00 on day 2) (40%)

The student must pass all exams to get a grade on the subject.

In case of continuation due to failing one of the three component, a new semester assignment must be submitted and/or a new written examination and/or MCQ taken. 

Examination support material

Refer to code of laws.

More about examination support material