Master of Urban Planning/Master of Urban Design

at University of Melbourne

Core
 

Students must complete 250 points of core subjects
 

• Planning Law & Statutory Planning

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject covers the legal framework within which urban planning takes place, and the ways in which local provisions (e.g. ‘Planning Schemes' in Victoria) can be used to implement plans by regulating development. It focuses on the legal frameworks and measures used in Australia, with particular emphasis on Victoria, but critically compares these with alternative approaches used in other jurisdictions. The intention is to teach students not just how to ‘operate' the current legal and statutory systems, but also how to change them to produce better outcomes. We begin by considering the role of regulation and laws in the process of urban planning, and the objectives that statutory planning seeks to achieve. We consider the possible tensions and conflicts between these objectives, and the different basic approaches that might be adopted in dealing with these tensions. The course then introduces the framework of planning law and governance in Victoria, comparing it with practice elsewhere in Australia and in selected overseas jurisdictions. The Victorian statutory planning process is covered in detail, addressing the making and amending of planning schemes, scheme administration and appeals. Finally, we consider the relationship between these state systems and other regulatory systems, such as Commonwealth environmental legislation, before turning to the question of possible reform of the Victorian and Australian systems.
   

• The Economies of Cities and Regions

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject explores planning and policy making for productive and competitive urban settlements by investigating the economic drivers, activities, and interrelationships of cities and regions. You will examine how making and moving of goods, services, and jobs shapes the vitality, structure and governance of cities and regions. Complex planning issues, requiring judgements about the competing demands of economic development and social needs, are associated with the growth and decline of sectors and places in their particular urban contexts. Various economic perspectives and examples are used to show and interpret how urban activities and sectors – such as manufacturing, transport, services, recreation, and creative activities – have locational and network impacts within and between cities. Special attention will be paid to comparative analysis and innovation in developing cities and regions, and to the implications of market failures and inequalities produced by economic development activities.
   

• Urban Design Studio A

  25 pts
   

• Students will undertake introductory abstract design exercises in the first half of semester providing the foundation for a major urban design proposition and the development of that proposition for end of semester assessment.
   

  This subject covers an introduction to a broad range of urban design issues and design approaches which may include: the scope, opportunities, complexities and responsibilities of urban design; urban design issues, elements and systems: analytical and design skills for generating and testing alternative approaches to the urban design development of specific sites; the role of urban design within a given spatial, social, economic and political context.
   

  The studio sessions are augmented with lectures and seminars in other subjects devoted to current urban design practice and theory.
   

• Land Use and Urban Design

  12.5 pts
   

• Urban design is concerned with the shaping of public space at multiple spatial scales from lanes, streets and squares to the neighbourhoods and districts of the larger metropolis. This subject emphasises the development of urban design knowledge that is of value to urban planners and other related professionals, while critically reflecting on urban design as it is practised. Students will develop understandings of the nature of urban design, and the roles of other professionals in relation to it. The fundamental qualities of urban places are examined from an urban design perspective. These understandings form the basis of skills development in using planning tools to achieve desirable urban design outcomes. An integrated program of lectures, studio workshops, fieldwork, and teamwork provide the basis for developing urban design understandings. Students will undertake hands-on urban design work, while reflecting critically upon the role of urban design, and the manner in which planning and urban design are interconnected.
   

• Strategic Plan Making

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject introduces students to the theories, skills and tools used in strategic planning, from problem identification and site analysis; through demographic, economic, and social background research, including GIS; identification of alternatives and policy development; to creating an implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan.
  There is a strong international comparative emphasis to this subject, including a focus on 'the real world' of governance in relation to ongoing debates about inclusive, socially just and environmentally sustainable cities.
   

  This subject involves a site visit (field trip) which will run in place of the lecture and tutorial in week three. The site visit is an assessment hurdle requirement and students will be required to cover the local public transport costs.

   

• Urban Design Studio B

  25 pts
   

• Students will undertake a series of in depth, critical and propositional studio-based design esquisses or exercises leading to a major exploratory urban design proposition. Their design proposition will investigate one or more key urban design issues or approaches in depth.
   

  This subject touches on a range of urban design issues and design approaches including use of urban analytics in the design process, the scope, opportunities, complexities and responsibilities of urban design; urban design issues, elements and systems: analytical and design skills for generating and testing alternative approaches to the urban design development of specific sites; the role of urban design within a given spatial, social, economic and political context.
   

  Students will undertake a series of studio-based design esquisses or exercises leading to a major exploratory urban design proposition. Their design proposition will investigate one or more key urban design issues or approaches in depth.
   

• Planning Theory and History

  12.5 pts
   

• Current practices of urban and regional planning have emerged as a human response to the range of circumstances surrounding settlements over time. This subject provides students with a grounding in the main theories of planning over the last two centuries as a means of understanding present-day planning practices and debates in an historical context. Accordingly, students will develop understandings of the contexts in which planning emerged as a response to concerns with a range of circumstances over time. These include: public health, technological change, environmental degradation, economic development, social justice, and conceptions of order and aesthetics. An integrated programme of lectures, readings and tutorials provide students with the materials to answer a series of related questions that chart the development over time of planning. The evolving responses to the enduring questions of planning, such as: ‘what is planning; why plan; how to plan; and what or for whom do we plan?’ are charted over time. The Australia response, in an international context, is emphasised to provide a critical lens upon current Australian planning, providing a basis for subsequent subjects in the Masters of Urban Planning Program.
   

• Analytical Methods

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject surveys some methodological approaches that are relevant to analysis of urban systems and urban planning processes. Students will be equipped to analyse both primary and secondary data, understand and apply essential principles of both qualitative and quantitative methods, and identify the context for their appropriate use. Students will be trained to critically assess shortcomings of data sources and methods, and consider the impact this has on the conclusions drawn. Overall, the subject facilitates the development of skills and knowledge regarding the use, collection, analysis, and representation of information. This will be utilized in future subjects and practice as planners. It is divided into three parts:
   

  Part 1. Universal Concepts in Research

  Part 2. Quantitative Research

  Part 3. Qualitative Research
   

• Urban Design Theory

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject explores contemporary theories and modes of critique relating to the design of the urban public realm. Emphasis is on how urban physical form responds to the economic, cultural, political, social, aesthetic and natural forces of an urbanised area. Assignments and class papers require students to critically engage with a broad range of theoretical positions, and relate them to local conditions.
   

• Participatory Planning

  12.5 pts
   

• Urban governance and citizen participation influence both the structure of the planning process (e.g. who participates, and how and when they participate) and the built environment outcomes produced from this process. All practitioners who work in local and regional environments (built, natural, social) need to be aware of the strategies and techniques that can be employed to elicit involvement from the public and private sector, and the modes of governance that shape citizen and stakeholder participation at different scales of government and at different points in the planning process. This subject will impart to students the skills involved in encouraging and managing participation in the overall governance and planning of urban regions.
   

  These skills include:
   

  • Understand the concept of urban governance

  • Understanding the influence of different forms of urban governance on processes of citizen participation

  • Understand the nexus between the public and private sectors and civil society in planning for and managing cities

  • Understand the role of local, State and Commonwealth government, the private sector and civil society in delivering and financing infrastructure and services

  • Encouraging and managing citizen engagement using different participatory tools

  • Understanding and assessing different characteristics of urban conflict

  • Negotiation, mediation, consensus-building between government, the private sector and civil society in complex situations with deep value differences

  • Have insight into comparative governance contexts through case studies from other countries

  • Evaluation of citizen participatory processes
     

  There will be considerable reliance on hand-on exercises based on case studies from Melbourne and around the world. The subject aims to be relevant to urban and social planners, landscape architects, urban designers, architects, property professionals, community developers, and environmental activities.
   

  This subject replaces ABPL90315 Urban Governance, and was previously known as Participation and Negotiation.
   

• Urban Sustainability and Climate Change

  12.5 pts
   

• This subject was previously known as Planning Urban Sustainability.
   

  Humans have altered the earth's natural environment to such an extent, that scientists are considering the determination of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. Climate change is one of many indicators of these significant human driven changes to the environment.
  
  This subject will provide students with an understanding of the key factors contributing to changes to natural and built environments, and their centrality to urban planning activities. Students will critically analyse the complex interrelationship between environmental processes, climate change, urban change, sustainability goals and urban planning policies. Current urban planning issues including: sustainability, climate change, resilience, and vulnerability will be critically analysed and applied to current and future problems. Local and global examples will be drawn upon. This approach will equip students with the capability to propose urban planning solutions to address climate change and facilitate urban sustainability.
  
  Through completion of this subject students will be provided with exposure to cutting edge urban planning approaches to address climate change and sustainability. Students will be well prepared to take elective subjects which focus in detail on environment, resilience and sustainability topics.
   

• Urban Design Studio C

  25 pts
   

• Students will undertake a series of in depth, critical and propositional studio-based design esquisses or exercises leading to a major exploratory urban design proposition scheme. Their design proposition will investigate one or more key urban design issues or approaches in depth, whilst demonstrating a thorough understanding of the broader implications of their proposal.
  
  This subject integrates a range of urban design issues and design approaches including use of urban analytics in the design process; parametric urbanism; complex adaptive systems; Pareto efficiency; the scope, opportunities, complexities and responsibilities of urban design; urban design issues, elements and systems: analytical and design skills for generating and testing alternative approaches to the urban design development of specific sites; exploring the potential the role of urban design within a given spatial, social, economic and political context.
   

• MSD Minor Thesis Part 1

  12.5 pts
   

• This individual study based subject is a capstone option for the completion of the Master of Urban Planning. Students will be supervised by an academic throughout the research process. Discussions with a supervisor allow the student to obtain advice and guidance for completion of an independent study.
   

  The thesis requires two consecutive semesters of enrolment:
   

  • The focus of the first semester is developing a research question, undertaking a literature review related to that question and proposing methods to answer the research question (which may require ethics clearance).

  • The second semester concentrates on the middle to final stages of research from the implementation of a research plan, to effectively interpreting and presenting results.
     

  NOTE:
  
  The MSD Minor Thesis requires two consecutive semesters of enrolment. Students can commence the Minor Thesis ( ABPL90396 MSD Minor Thesis Part 1) in either Semester 1 or 2 and must continue (ABPL90397 MSD Minor Thesis part 2) in the following semester. Upon successful completion of the MSD Minor Thesis, students will receive 25 points credit.
   

• Urban Design Thesis

  25 pts
   

• This subject is the culmination of each student's studies in Master of Urban Design. It will consist of a number of autonomous studio groups offering a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate an original approach to design synthesis in urban design, which is based on research and critical thinking. These studios will offer an interdisciplinary experience, and in some cases students may be working alongside others in a parallel design discipline.
   

  Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of conceptual engagement with the shaping of urban space, design resolution, conceptual engagement and aesthetic expression .
  With course coordinator approval, high-achieving students may undertake the Urban Design Thesis as an individually supervised design investigation. Similarly, under exceptional circumstances and with course coordinator approval, the design thesis may be undertaken as a written thesis
   

• The Shaping of Urban Design

  12.5 pts
   

• The subject is a critical introduction to the contemporary tools and urban models that are required in the practice of urban design. The theoretical focus is on contemporary techniques and models that have been generated by architects, landscape architects , urban designers, planners and other built environment professionals.
  It emphasises links between eras (continuities and change), between ideas and practice, and between urban design and the wider landscape of ideas: special attention is paid to the influence of culture, the role and techniques of urban morphology, and the graphic representation/interpretation of concepts, models and places.
   

• MSD Minor Thesis Part 2

  12.5 pts
   

• Please refer to ABPL90396 MSD Minor Thesis Part 1
   

For students coming from an Urban Design, Landscape Architecture or Architecture undergraduate degree:
 

• A three-year undergraduate degree in Urban Design, Landscape Architecture or Architecture with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 65% (University of Melbourne equivalent); and

• A Design Portfolio; and

• A Personal Statement of up to 500 words outlining relevant prior study and work experience, and motivation to undertake the program; and

• Satisfy the University of Melbourne's English Language Requirement.
   

Design portfolio requirements
 

Refer to the MSD Design Portfolio Requirements webpage for detailed information.
 

• TOEFL (internet-based): total score at of least 79 and scores of 21 for writing, 18 for speaking, 13 for reading and 13 for listening. To submit your scores when you apply, use our TOEFL Institution Code: 0974.
   

• IELTS: total score of at least 6.5 in the Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no bands less than 6.0.

• Indicative first year fee AUD$44,512
   
• Indicative total course fee AUD$140,324

Many graduates with urban planning and design qualifications enter the public sector and work in government departments and agencies, or for local councils and regions.
 

The private and public sectors in Australia and internationally employ our graduates in an increasing range of areas, including urban planning and design, environmental and transport planning consultancy, property development, and housing and community advocacy. There are also opportunities in tertiary education and research.
 

Urban design skills are in great demand throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region and your expertise in the design of urban public spaces and strategic planning will provide the opportunity to work locally and globally.
 

Urban planners work with teams of related professionals such as architects, landscape architects, engineers, environmental scientists, economists, property valuers, real estate developers, lawyers and sociologists.
 

Some of the organisations our graduates work for are:
 

• AECOM

• City of Melbourne

• City of Greater Geelong

• Darebin City Council

• David Lock Associates

• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

• FJMT Architects

• GHD Woodhead

• Hansen Partnership

• Moreland City Council

• Toronto City Planning

• Tract Consultants

• UN-Habitat

• Urbis

• Yarra City Council

• Parks Victoria

• Victorian Planning Authority
   

Our graduates work as:
 

• Senior Planner

• Project Officer

• Town Planner Urban and Regional Planner

• Strategic Planner

• Statutory Planner

• Transport Planner

• Planning Policy Advisor

• Sustainability Coordinator

• Precinct Planner

• Policy Officer

• Urban Planning and Design Consultant

• Urban Designer

• Urban Analytics & Visualisation Manager

• Strategic Planner

• Urban and Interior Designer

• Senior Design Advisor

• Design Manager