2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Introduction to Modern Urban Planning Theory
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Kei Sakamura
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.D414
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The environment surrounding Japanese cities is changing dramatically as they enter a period of maturity. On the other hand, the urban planning system has remained outdated in response to urban development during the period of rapid economic growth, and as a result, urban planning has become dysfunctional. In this class, we will review current urban planning toward the year 2050, and consider a new image of urban social space and the institutions and organizations that will support it.
Course description and aims
1. To understand the potential challenges of current urban planning
2. To be able to explain cities from the perspective of the commons and biocultural diversity
3. To be able to consider and discuss the future development path of urban planning
Keywords
Urban planning, land use planning, population decline, global environment
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The course consists of 4 lectures and 3 exercises. In the lectures, students will discuss the challenges and prospects of urban planning for the city of 2050. In the exercises, the students discuss urban issues and their solutions in groups, based on the designated target sites.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction: Challenges for urban planning in 2050 | Understanding the conditions and issues surrounding contemporary cities |
| Class 2 | Exercise 1: Walking tour | Understand the urban issues and local resources in the target area |
| Class 3 | Rethinking Urban Planning through Commons and Community Collaboration | Understand the concept of commons and new publics/ Understand the image of urban planning through regional cooperation |
| Class 4 | Exercise 2: Group discussion | Discuss urban issues and local resources in the target area |
| Class 5 | Considering the development of urban planning from flow-responsive to stock-responsive | Understand the limitations of flow-type urban planning in a mature period / Understand the regulations required for stock-type urban planning |
| Class 6 | Prospects for Urban Planning in Connection with Ecosystems | Understand what an ecosystem-friendly city looks like / Understand the challenges of building an environmentally-friendly city |
| Class 7 | Exercise 3: Presentation and Panel discussion | Discuss a new vision and path for urban planning in the target area |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Distribute historical documents on the history of urban planning and urban issues as needed.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Participation in discussions, work products, and presentations of in-class exercises
Related courses
- UDE.D401 ： Historic Perspective of Space I
Prerequisites
None