Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education has joined forces with the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment to create a new Master’s course in sustainable urban development.

The MSc aims to provide an analytical and integrated study of urban sustainability, urban design and the management of urban development. It is designed for early-career professionals from the development, sustainability, architectural, engineering, surveying and planning worlds.

“Sustainability is becoming a goal of many city plans, and is increasingly informing the practice of architecture, urbanism, landscape design and environmental planning,” said Jonathan Michie, director of the Department for Continuing Education. “Given the growing worldwide pressure for identifiable change in this crucial area, this is an appropriate time to launch an applied, flexibly-timetabled postgraduate course aimed at practising professionals.”

The MSc in Sustainable Urban Development is a part-time programme and the first students will start the programme in September.

The Prince of Wales presided over the signing of a memorandum of cooperation for the course. The Prince’s Foundation will contribute its teaching skills in placemaking, urban design and design coding, and civic engagement.

“This course will give professionals in any of the key disciplines the multi-disciplinary skills they need to plan and develop sustainable cities, towns and districts,” said Hank Dittmar of the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment. “The programme aims to develop an improved understanding of cities, the causes and consequences of urban growth and decline, and alternative approaches to future development.”

Tags: sustainable urban development