Course Syllabus

URP 6871: Planning & Design 1

3 Credits

Instructor:

Huiqing 'Hui' Kuang, PLA,       Hui: "Hoy"

Adjunct Professor, Department of Urban and Reginal Planning 

Online Office hours: 

Click 'Zoom Conferences' on the left column to join Zoom 

Join URL: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92133477712?pwd=VmZXbGlQNjR5UW9CcDR4VElJbytHZz09
Links to an external site.

Meeting ID: 921 3347 7712

Password: URP6871

  • Thursdays 8-9pm (ET)

Please sign up before 4:30pm on Thursdays using the Google Sheet to meet. Note: if no one signs up or joins the meeting by 8:10pm, I will close the meeting. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-HvoNEH-3sp4a5ugvAebEossICMs-rMUYc0tAjDcr4A/edit?usp=sharingLinks to an external site.

You can select a time slot (15 min/slot). If you cannot show up, please clean up your reserved time slot for other classmates.

  • By appointment

If Thursday nights don't work for you, or you looking for more support beyond the office hours. I will try my best to meet you via Zoom. Please email me within Canvas at least one day early to set up an appointment. 

No Final Exam

Course Communication: 

All communication with course faculty will take place within Canvas, through the Inbox. All emails will be sent and received within Canvas. You should NOT be emailing the course instructor outside of the system. The instructor is also available for a zoom meeting by appointment. Please contact the instructor through the Inbox to arrange a meeting.

Required Textbook:

Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., & Tiesdell, S. (2010). Public places urban spaces: The dimensions of urban design (2nd ed.) Elsevier Science.

This textbook is available online via UF library. Or you could download by click here.

Course Description:

The course covers several dimensions of city design which define and characterize the urban environments in which we live, work, and play. Students’ success in understanding these concepts will be gained through research assignments, presentations, and a final design project. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the theoretical principles that constitute the physical planning and design of cities. Students will gain a strong understanding of how cities are composed and organized
based on their physical and non-physical attributes. Students will learn how to analyze urban environments utilizing common design principles that express the way individuals perceive, visualize, and navigate urban landscapes. In addition to the theoretical components of the course, graphic communication methods will be introduced to help students further comprehend, evaluate, and communicate concepts and ideas about the planning and design of cities more effectively.

Students taking this course will develop practical presentation skills necessary for support of research and professional practice through lectures, reading assignments, essays, presentation assignments/oral presentation, and a final design project/presentation. Each student’s work will be reviewed based upon the department’s student learning outcomes as those relate to urban design theories.

Course Goals and/or Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to: 

  • Learn how to effectively analyze the various components that formulate cities – past, present, and future – by examining the physical organization and visual elements as they apply to various scales.
  • Demonstrate research and critical thinking skills reflecting comprehension with regard to the use of various dimensions and aspects for urban and regional planning.
  • Apply knowledge of urban design theories, historical and contemporary data, organizational and institutional data, and policy and processes relevant to urban and regional planning.
  • Discuss cultural sensitivity, teamwork, professional conduct and the importance of developing communication skills regarding presentations and final design project.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

None. 

Instructional Methods

The course will be divided into two parts: The first half of the semester will cover the principles of city design through lectures, guest speakers, and visual and graphic media instruction, supplemented by individual and collaborative team assignments and presentations focusing on design principles discussed during the weekly lectures. Additionally, videos and other multi-media aides will be used to instruct the historical aspects of city planning and design, teach practical applications for creating, using, and presenting plans and designs, and introduce students to various factors that drive the development and design of cities. The second half of the semester will consist of a final design project. Students will analyze an urban site and develop design intervention strategies by applying the principles learned throughout the semester.

I expect all graduate students should be able to accomplish the basic requirements for the course and attain a minimum “B” grade. I will not hesitate to mark lower when a student does not meet that expectation and adequately display an understanding of the materials presented. In order to attain an “A” grade requires performance that displays quality work, depth of knowledge, and the ability to synthesize of ideas into actions or solutions. I will be happy to meet individually with any student during office hours or by appointment for additional discussion on concepts, techniques, or methodology presented in this course.

Grading Policy

Grades are determined only by points earned on assignments given during the semester. There is no opportunity other than what is explicitly stated in this syllabus to earn points, that is, no special assignments nor additional work beyond that given to other students. 

Grading will adhere to the University of Florida Grade Policy: 

University of Florida Grade Policy

Letter Grade

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

E

Numeric Grade

>=93

92-90

89-88

87-83

82-80

79-78

77-73

72-70

69-68

67-58

57-55

<=55

For greater detail, see the Grades section of the Graduate Catalog for the University of Links to an external site. Florida. It also contains the policies and procedures, course descriptions, colleges, departments, and program information for UF.

Grading Percentages:

Grading Percentages

Assignments

%

Assignments

%

Presentation 1_Public Realm

10%

Discussion 1_Streetscape design

5%

Presentation 2_Persptual Analysis

10%

Discussion 2

5%

Presentation 3_Morphological Analysis 

10%

Workshop 1_SketchUp Modeling

5%

Presentation 4_Visual Analysis 

10%

Workshop 2_SketchUp Modeling

5%

Final Project Progress 

10%

Discussion 3

5%

Final Project Final

25%

Assignment Policy

Assignments are typically due by the end of each Sunday (by 11:59pm), unless otherwise specified. You will submit your work to CANVAS for grades. For detailed submission requirements, due date & time, please refer to the assignment pages in Canvas. 

Assignment Submission

All student work may be retained and used by the Department of Landscape Architecture.  Digital Copies of student work for this course must be turned in at the completion of each assignment.  No grades will be computed into the final course grade until digital submissions have been turned in as requested.  Please follow the directions given by the instructor as to how they will be submitted (Sakai, CD, PDF, word file, etc.).  However, all files must be named as follows:  

                 course# name project_student name. dwg/pdf/jpg/ai/indd...   

Example:  6871Presentation1_Smith    

Use caps for separation 

No spaces, hyphens, or underscoring     

Computer and Software Programs

Students are required to have a computer. The following software expected to be used in this class for
presentation and visualization needs.

Software programs are different between various versions, and operating systems. The current demonstration videos are showing in SketchUp 2021, Windows 10 operating system, which is the highest when the demonstrations are recorded. If students are using older versions, or the same version but in Mac, they will need to spend extra time for trouble shooting or navigating. 

Readings & Tutorials

Readings:

  • Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., & Silverstein, M. (1977). A pattern language: Towns, buildings, construction.
    New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Antoniades, A. C. (1980). Architecture and allied design: An environmental design perspective. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co.
  • Bacon, E. N. (1976). Design of cities (Rev. 6th ed.). New York: Penguin Books.
  • Barnett, J. (1982). An introduction to urban design (1st ed. ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
  • Collins, G. R. (1986). Camillo sitte : The birth of modern city planning. New York: Rizzoli.
  • Cullen, G. (1971). The concise townscape. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
  • Gehl, J. (1987). Life between buildings: Using public space. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  • Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  • Jacobs, A. B. (1993). Great streets. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House.
  • Kostof, S. (1991). The city shaped: Urban patterns and meanings through history (1st North American
    ed. ed.). Boston: Little, Brown.
  • Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. Cambridge Mass: Technology Press.
  • Lynch, K. (1971). Site Planning (2nd paperback ed. ed.). Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Lynch, K. (1984). Good city form (1st paperback ed. ed.). Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Madanipour, A. (1996). Design of urban space: An inquiry into a socio-spatial process. Chichester ; New
    York: Wiley.
  • Project for Public Spaces. (2000). How to turn a place around: A handbook for creating successful public
    spaces. New York, NY: Project for Public Spaces.
  • Trancik, R. (1986). Finding lost space: Theories of urban design John Wiley and Sons.
  • Whyte, W (1980). The social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C: Conservation Foundation.
  • Lorraine Farrelly (2011). Drawing for Urban Design. Laurence King Publishing Ltd
  • Laurie Olin (2008), OLIN: Placemaking. The Monacelli Press
  • Pope, A. (1974). “Cities for people”-video
  • Bacon, E. (1983). “Understanding cities” Instructional videos on Rome, Paris, London, US-video

Online Tutorials:

Learning any digital tools is a continuous self-taught process. UF students have free access to Linkedin Learning, which is an incredible resource to take a deep dive into any software program. The limitation is that the exercises are not professional specific, but it demonstrates the key features in detail. Linked learning could be accessed at http:/elearning.ufl.edu/. This class will take full advantage of Linkedin Learning: 

  • Sketchup 2021 Essential Training

Also,

• SketchUp: http://www.sketchup.com/
• SketchUp Resources: http://www.sketchupschool.com/

UF Libraries and Labs (links and web addresses to facilitate your access)
• University of Florida (Library homepage): http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/
• VPN connection (Off campus access): https://connect.ufl.edu/it/wiki/Pages/glvpn.aspx
ArcGIS Desktop
• Getting started: https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/get-started/main/get-started-witharcmap.
htm

Attendance Policy 

While face-to-face attendance is not required, students need to make use of the various tools in Canvas to develop a learning community. The discussion board is an area where students can communicate with the instructor and classmates regarding a variety of topics.

Students are responsible for satisfying all academic objectives as defined by the instructor. In general, acceptable reasons for absence from or failure to participate in class include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, and professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays, and participation in official university activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused. Other reasons also may be approved. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence.

Students cannot participate in classes unless they are registered officially or approved to audit with evidence of having paid audit fees. The Office of the University Registrar provides official class rolls to instructors.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

Quiz & Exam Policy

Quizzes and Exams will be given to test students' knowledge on course materials. 

Late Submission & Make-up Policy

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence, if the absence is due to the one of accepted reasons listed in the Attendance Policy.

If you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, please contact me before the due date to discuss your options. A grade reduction of 5% per day will occur unless there is an acceptable excuse for the late submission. Due to the compressed nature of the course, work will not be accepted more than 1 week late.

Computer problems that arise during submission will not be accepted as an excuse for late work. In the event that you have technical difficulties with e-Learning, please contact the UF Help Desk. If technical difficulties cause you to miss a due date, you MUST report the problem to Help Desk. Include the ticket number and an explanation of the issue based on consultation with Help Desk in an email to the instructor to explain the late assignment/exam. The course faculty reserves the right to accept or decline tickets from the UF Help Desk based on individual circumstances.

IMPORTANT: Accommodations will NOT be made due to lost data, nor will there be granted any last-minute extensions on account of workload.

 

University Policies

University policies on such matters as add/drop, incomplete, academic probation, termination of enrollment, reinstatement, and other expectations or procedures can be found in the graduate student handbookLinks to an external site. and at the Dean of Students websiteLinks to an external site..

Special Accommodations 

Students requesting disability-related academic accommodations must first register with the Disability Resource CenterLinks to an external site..The Disability Resource Center will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.

University Policy on Academic Misconduct 

Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code.Links to an external site.

Student Honor Code

In adopting this Honor CodeLinks to an external site., the students of the University of Florida recognize that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students who enroll at the University commit to holding themselves and their peers to the high standard of honor required by the Honor Code. Any individual who becomes aware of a violation of the Honor Code is bound by honor to take corrective action. Student and faculty support are crucial to the success of the Honor Code. The quality of a University of Florida education is dependent upon the community acceptance and enforcement of the Honor Code.

The Honor Pledge:

We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.

On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."

Netiquette: Communication Courtesy 

All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all messages, threaded discussions and chats. Course communication should be civilized and respectful to everyone. The means of communication provided to you through e-Learning (e-mail, discussion posts, course questions, and chats) are at your full disposal to use in a respectful manner. Abuse of this system and its tools through disruptive conduct, harassment, or overall disruption of course activity will not be tolerated. Conduct that is deemed to be in violation with University rules and regulations or the Code of Student Conduct will result in a report to the Dean of Students.

Refer to the following link for more information: https://teach.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NetiquetteGuideforOnlineCourses.docx

Course Evaluation

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at

https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/Links to an external site.. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/Links to an external site.. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/Links to an external site..

Student Support Services

As a student in a distance learning course or program, you have access to the same student support services that on campus students have. For course content questions contact your instructor.

For any technical issues you encounter with your course please contact the UF computing Help Desk at 342-392-HELP (4357). For Help Desk hours visit: http://helpdesk.ufl.edu. Links to an external site.For a list of additional student support services links and information please visit: http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-services.

 

Disclaimer: This syllabus represents our current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. Such changes, communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.