URBD789

Public Realm

Public space and places, especially street space, are essential elements of the public realm in cities, towns, and villages. They are also the most valued spaces from a neighbourhood perspective. The design of urban, suburban, and rural places for meaningful public use and enjoyment is the focus of this urban design course.

The course will be highly interactive, mixing presentations with discussions and exercises, so that you can develop effective ways to approach the design or redesign of the public realm. You’ll develop the fundamental urban design skills of observation, analysis, documentation, idea generation, design development, and effective graphic presentation.

Currently not available for registration.

This course is available as part of the Urban Design Certificate (elective course) and on an individual basis.

Registration may close up to one week before the course begins.

What will I learn?

In this course, you’ll do the following:

Increase your awareness of urban public spaces as “urban glue”
List the roles the public realm plays in building and sustaining a sense of place and community
Discuss the place development process and the importance of setting realistic goals, principles and targets
Review what makes a successful place in Europe and North America and how place-makers are unique to their location and time
Develop your ability to observe and analyze how people use urban public spaces and street spaces, and how these spaces meet the needs of intended user groups
Examine the interplay of land economics, adjoining land uses, and spatial definition in defining the success or failure of places
Develop team and collective learning skills that are beneficial for multi-disciplinary project work in public realm projects
Use key urban design principles to expand public interaction
Discuss the importance of ownership, programming and maintenance in creating and sustaining vibrant urban places
Refine your presentation skills