11296 Contemporary Issues in Urban Design

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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Architecture
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 72 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10004 Bachelor of Design Architecture OR 72 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10325 Bachelor of Design Architecture Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 72 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10413 Bachelor of Design Architecture Master of Architecture OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C09079 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours) OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10271 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10423 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of Languages and Cultures OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10272 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of International Studies OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10322 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation

Description

The elective aims to create a diverse image and understanding of the city using experiential mapping techniques. Sensory perception involving the human body’s five critical senses: Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, and Taste are creatively used to understand the city of Sydney from a qualitative perspective. Simultaneously, Environmental mapping (Air Quality, including temperature, humidity, particulate matter etc.) is established from a quantitative perspective. To do so, geo-strings across diverse Sydney suburbs are used as trails for carefully choreographed mapping exercises. This mapping process forms the basis of investigating the state of ‘Emotive Equity’ within the context of Sydney. Students in this elective acquire the role of community residents and responsible citizens to map lived experiences through sensory and environmental perception. They thus not only understand the difference between ‘Equality’ and ‘Equity’ from a sensory context but also embark upon a journey to understand the city as a ‘mosaic’ with its own spatial, environmental, and social identity.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1.	Gain expertise in design thinking, urban design, and abstraction
2.	Develop alternative (out of the box) modes of analysing the city
3.	Familiarise yourself with creative cartography and data visualisation techniques
4.	Learn how to translate qualitative aspects into quantitative measures
5.	Find correlations between diverse perceptions of the city

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

Establish and develop an informed and ethical position towards social, technical and environmental issues and practices (A.1)
Communicate ideas professionally and effectively through a variety of mediums: oral, written, visual, physical and digital (C.2)
Creatively use architectural media, technologies and materials (I.2)
Understand and challenge disciplinary conventions through an engagement with emergent forms of architectural practice, technologies and modes of production (P.1)
Evidence disciplinary knowledge through the application of physical and/or digital mediums (P.6)
Independently analyse, synthesise and formulate complex ideas, arguments and rationales and use initiative to explore alternatives (R.3)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching within the subject will take various forms: tutorials, design thinking workshops, and invited lectures. The subject will encourage students to play the role of concerned citizen scientists, work responsibly in groups and will involve physically navigating the city in groups to sensorially map the city.

Content (topics)

- Sensory perception: What role does sensory perception play in understanding the city (qualitative)

- Environmental monitoring: Environmental data mapping using ATMO devices (quantitative)

- Representation: How to translate sensorial mapping into cartographic representations

- Data transitions: How to translate qualitative aspects into quantitative measures

- Critical reflection: How can we develop critical conclusions from the correlations between diverse perceptions of the city

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Mid-term review (Quantitative environmental correlation analysis and Sense mapping - Work in Progress)

Intent:

Assessment Task 1 will test the student’s skills and creative concept formation abilities on methods, techniques, and skills associated with developing creative cartographies. A special focus will be on the correlation analysis conducted using ATMO devices. The assessment will be held in class and will involve a PowerPoint presentation. All material should be submitted to the tutor by the end of the assessment day (including graphical files of the cartography, measurement convention, and the final digital presentation).

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.1, C.2 and I.2

Type:

Presentation

Groupwork:

Group, individually assessed

Weight:

40%

Criteria:

- Creative concept formation abilities

- Methods, techniques, and skills associated with the development of creative cartographies

- Critical correlation-forming abilities using quantitative analysis methods

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Concept formation	40	2	A.1
Methodology	40	3	I.2
Presentation quality	20	1	C.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Final review (Correlation analysis + ramifications report and a PowerPoint showcasing the Process documentation of the elective)

Intent:

The final assessment will involve two parts:

01. PowerPoint presentation, including screenshots of the Visualised data using ATMO devices, sense mapping infographics, and results of correlation analysis + critical conclusions. External reviewers will be invited to the presentation.

02. Submission of the final project report (8000 words maximum)

The final presentation and report should be submitted to the tutor in a digital format before the end of the day.

You will be assessed on your overall performance in the elective, punctuality, commitment, presentation quality and delivery.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 4 and 5

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

P.1, P.6 and R.3