MA Spatial Planning and Urban Design

The MA in Planning and Design aims to revive the notion of the planner-architect and bring propositional planning back to the forefront of urban place shaping.

It is taught in collaboration with Design for London, the Mayor of London’s architecture and urbanism unit, providing a unique relationship with the people, places and resources that are influencing the city.

The course operates at the threshold of planning, urban design and architecture. It is informed by current local and international spatial planning and urban design policies and practices, but also emphasizes the need to question these processes and policies to test and develop new approaches to complex urban contexts. It welcomes students as fellow innovators in a course that is both visionary and hands on in seeking to develop urban and planning strategies that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, distinctive and enjoyable.

The MA Spatial Planning & Urban Design is conceived as a model of continuously developing research, focused through the acquisition of specialist areas of knowledge and taught skills, which are tested, in parallel, through the formulation of a design project. The latter component is intended to explore the broader parameters of the research within a particular situation or environment, and is studied alongside the diploma design units.

The distinctive feature of this course is the combination of two disciplines; spatial planning and urban design. The course provides the fundamental knowledge and technical skills for both disciplines and will focus on the interaction between the two. It builds on existing teaching, research expertise and consultancies in Spatial Planning and Urban Design in two university departments - the Faculty for Architecture and Spatial Design [ASD] and the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences [FASS].

Throughout the year, students gain a variety of insights into the world of planning and urban design through guest lecturers from a wide range of public and private sector organisations, as well as case study reviews, workshops, exhibitions and events, and site visits across London and further afield.

The course has set up a number of summer research positions in Local Authorities to provide the students with a unique opportunity to gather information, and engage with those in authority who can implement their research in to live projects.

Research opportunities are also available through The Spatial Planning & Housing Studies Centre, which has a strong connection to the course. 

Students will finish the course with a wide and detailed knowledge of planning and design, and be able to follow a number of career paths that allow them to make an impact on the life of our cities.

The course can be studied full time in one year, and part time in two.

For more information please contact lara.gibson@londonmet.ac.uk