Urban Design for the Public Good: Dutch Urbanism

Are you an urban planner, designer, policy maker or involved or interested in the creation of good living environments?

This course will broaden your scope and diversify your take on the field of urban planning and design. We will focus on a unique Dutch approach and analyze how it can help those involved with urban planning and design to improve the physical environment in relation to the public good it serves, including safety, wellbeing, sustainability and even beauty.

You will learn some of the basic traits of Dutch Urbanism, including its:

• contextual approach;
• balance between research and design;
• simultaneous working on multiple scale levels.

You will practice with basic techniques in spatial analysis and design pertaining to these points. You will also carry out these activities in your own domestic environment.

This course is taught by the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at TU-Delft, ranked no. 4 in Architecture/Built Environment on the QS World University Rankings (2016).

All the material in this course is presented at entry level. But since the course has an integral perspective, combining planning and design aspects, it can still be relevant for trained professionals who feel they lack experience in either field.

Week 1:
The first module is a thematic and technical introduction of the basic concepts behind the course and its functionality.

Week 2:
We will focus on the concept of “public goods” and how these can be strengthened or created by design and planning actions.

Week 3:
This module is focused around the structural role of the natural landscape in any urban environment.

Week 4:
We will introduce you to the concept of Urban Metabolism and the way in which different urban “flows” interact.

Week 5:
We will look at how seemingly small interventions like the restructuring of an urban plaza can have a great impact on the usability and enjoyability of the city for all.

Week 6:
This module is an introduction to the realm of data driven design. What may someday result in “smart cities” must start from a basic understanding of the relation between data and design.

Week 7:
Another exercise in how to achieve big results with small interventions: In this module, we will look at how strategic changes in infrastructure have brought new life to a dilapidated area.

Week 8:
Rounding off this course, we will bring the concept of design for the public good to an new level, what have we learned? But more importantly, what are the roads ahead?