AR41/116

1
(THESE REGULATIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO CANDIDATES ADMITTED TO
THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING CURRICULUM IN THE
2016-17 ACADEMIC YEAR AND THEREAFTER)

REGULATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING
(MSc[Urban Planning])

(See also General Regulations and Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula)

Any publication based on work approved for a higher degree should contain a reference to the effect that
the work was submitted to the University of Hong Kong for the award of the degree.

Ar25 Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission to the courses leading to the degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning,
candidates
(a) shall comply with the General Regulations and the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate
Curricula;
(b) shall hold
(i) a Bachelor's degree with honours of this University; or
(ii) another qualification of equivalent standard from this University or from another
university or comparable institution accepted for this purpose; and
(c) shall satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination if required.

Ar26 Qualifying examination

(a) A qualifying examination may be set to test the candidates’ formal academic ability or their
abilities to follow the courses of study prescribed. It shall consist of one or more written
papers or their equivalent and may include a project report.
(b) Candidates who are required to satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination shall not
be permitted to register until they have satisfied the examiners in the examination.

Ar27 Requirements for graduation

To be eligible for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning, candidates
(a) shall comply with the General Regulations and the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate
Curricula; and
(b) shall complete the curriculum and satisfy the examiners in accordance with the regulations
set out below.

Ar28 Period of Study

(a) The curriculum shall normally require two academic years of full-time study, or three
academic years of part-time study. Candidates shall not be permitted to extend their studies
beyond the maximum period of registration of four academic years of full-time study, or five
academic years of part-time study, unless otherwise permitted or required by the Board of the
 2
Faculty.
(b) Candidates who are being granted advanced standing according to Ar36 shall complete the
curriculum in not more than three years’ time.

Ar29 Completion of curriculum

To complete the curriculum, candidates

(a) shall satisfy the requirements prescribed in TPG 6 of the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate
Curricula;
(b) shall follow courses of instruction and complete satisfactorily all written work and practical work
as prescribed in the syllabuses;
(c) shall satisfy the examiners in all prescribed courses and studios and in all prescribed form of
assessment; and
(d) shall complete and present a satisfactory dissertation as prescribed in the syllabuses.

Ar30 Dissertation

The title of the dissertation shall be submitted for approval by 15 November in the final year of study.
The dissertation shall not exceed 15,000 words in length and must be presented in the candidates’ final
year of study on a date to be specified by the Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Design.
Candidates shall submit a statement that the dissertation represents their own work undertaken after
registration as candidates for the degree. The examiners may also prescribe an oral examination on the
subject of the dissertation.

Ar31 Assessment

Full-time candidates
(a) who have achieved a Semester GPA of 1.7 or above in the first two semesters of study may
be permitted to present themselves for re-assessment in the course(s) of failure at a specified
subsequent date;
(b) who have failed to satisfy the examiners in any of the courses in the last two semesters of
study, and have presented a satisfactory dissertation and studio reports, may be permitted to
present themselves for re-assessment in the course(s) of failure at a specified subsequent
date;
(c) who have satisfied the examiners in all the courses but have presented an unsatisfactory
studio report may be permitted to revise the studio report and re-present it by a specified
subsequent date;
(d) who have satisfied the examiners in all the courses and have presented satisfactory studio
reports but have presented an unsatisfactory dissertation may be permitted to revise the
dissertation and re-present it by a specified subsequent date.

Part-time candidates
(e) who have achieved a Semester GPA of 1.7 or above in the first two semesters of study, may
be permitted to present themselves for re-assessment in the course(s) of failure at a specified
subsequent date;
(f) who have satisfied the examiners in all the courses but have presented an unsatisfactory
studio report may be permitted to revise the studio report and re-present it by a specified
subsequent date;
(g) who have satisfied the examiners in all the courses and have presented satisfactory studio
reports but have presented an unsatisfactory dissertation may be permitted to revise the
 3
dissertation and re-present it by a specified subsequent date.

Ar32 Candidates who are unable because of illness to be present for assessment(s) held in the first
academic year of study if they are full-time, or in the first or second academic year of study if they are
part-time, may apply for permission to present themselves again in the assessment(s) to be held before
the beginning of the following academic year. Any such application shall be made in writing within two
weeks of the first day of the candidates’ absence from any assessment.

Ar33

Candidates shall be recommended for discontinuation of their studies if they:

(a) are not permitted to present themselves for re-assessment in any course(s) in which they
have failed to satisfy the examiners or to revise and re-present their studio report or
dissertation shall be deemed to have failed; or
(b) have failed to satisfy the examiners in a second attempt in any course(s) or in his studio
report or dissertation; or
(c) have exceeded the maximum period of registration specified in these regulations of the
degree.

Ar34 Grading systems

Courses shall be graded according to the following grading systems as determined by the Board of
Examiners:
(a) Letter grades, their standards and the grade points for assessment as follows:

and

(b) “Pass” or “Fail” for URBP6911 Foundation course on statistics and quantitative methods.

Course which is graded according to (b) above will not be included in the calculation of the GPA.
 4
Ar35 Assessment results

On successful completion of the curriculum, candidates who have shown exceptional merit may be
awarded a mark of distinction, and this mark shall be recorded in the candidates’ degree diploma.

Ar36 Advanced standing

(a) Advanced standing shall be granted to candidates who have successfully completed a
cognate Masters degree of this University or another qualification of equivalent standard
accepted for this purpose.
(b) Advanced standing of up to 30 credits may be granted by the Board of the Faculty of
Architecture subject to the condition that the application for advanced standing is received
within five years of successful completion of the degree accepted for this purpose.
(c) Applications for advanced standing shall normally be made at the same time of application
for admission to the Master of Science in Urban Planning curriculum, and should be
accompanied by copies of academic transcripts to support the application.

11 Jan 2016
 AR68/919
5
(THESE SYLLABUSES ARE APPLICABLE TO MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING
CANDIDATES ADMITTED TO THE CURRICULUM IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-19 AND
THEREAFTER)

SYLLABUSES FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING

The Department of Urban Planning and Design offers a postgraduate course leading to the degree of
Master of Science in Urban Planning.

A. CURRICULUM STRUCTURE

The curriculum shall include assessment of the prescribed and elective courses subject to the approval
of the Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, the Urban Planning Studios and a
Dissertation. Candidates studying both the full-time and part-time curricula are required to complete a
total of 126 credits of courses.

The curriculum shall normally require two academic years of full-time study, or three academic years of
part-time study. Candidates shall not be permitted to extend their studies beyond the maximum period
of registration of four academic years of full-time study, or five academic years of part-time study,
unless otherwise permitted or required by the Board of the Faculty.

Candidates are required to follow courses of instruction and satisfy the examiners in the “Foundation
Course on Statistics and Quantitative Methods” and in each of the following seven Core Courses:

Values in Planning;
Urban Development Theories;
Research Methods in Spatial Planning;
Urban Design and Place Making;
Planning Practice, Law and Ethics in Hong Kong;
Planning, Managing and Financing the Development Process;
Planning Sustainable Cities and Regions.

and a total of 18 credits of Elective Courses as specialization selected from a list approved from time to
time. Candidates’ selection of courses shall be approved by the Head of the Department. In addition,
candidates are required to complete satisfactorily the urban planning studios and submit in the final year
of study a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a date to be specified by the Head of the
Department.

B. ASSESSMENT

Each of the courses followed by candidates is examined either by an assessment of coursework, or by a

combination of coursework assessment and a written examination. To complete the curriculum,
candidates shall satisfy all the assessments and the relevant requirements prescribed in the Regulations
for the Degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning.
 6
C. COURSE LIST

Foundation Course

URBP6911. Foundation course on statistics and quantitative methods (6 credits)

This is a general foundation course on statistics, quantitative methods and computer techniques that are
commonly used in urban analysis and planning. It introduces students the fundamentals of descriptive,
inferential and multivariate statistical techniques and quantitative methods. The aim is to develop
students a basic level of competence and ability in using them in urban analysis and planning.

Assessment: 30-100% continuous coursework assessment and 0-70% examination

Urban Planning Core Courses

Students are required to take all Core Courses:

URBP6002. Urban development theories (6 credits)

This course reviews the theoretical frameworks for the understanding of urban development processes.
It analyses the economic, spatial and socio-political dimensions of urban activities. The dynamics of
urbanization in the global production system, the relations between capital accumulation and urban
development, place marketing and the rise of the creative cities will be discussed.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6003. Planning practice, law and ethics in Hong Kong (6 credits)

This course provides a detailed understanding of professional planning practice in Hong Kong. It deals
with the practical dimensions of planning in both the public and private sectors. The course reviews the
history, policies, strategies, administrative and legal procedures of planning. It also examines issues
surrounding the ethical basis of professional planning activity.

Assessment: 60%-70% continuous coursework assessment and 30%-40% examination

URBP7003. Research methods in spatial planning (6 credits)

This course introduces basic research methods and techniques in urban and regional spatial planning. It
will examine research design methods, data collection, and the use of statistical as well as qualitative
techniques in data analysis. It will also examine analytical models and evaluation and management
methods that are commonly used in spatial planning and research.

Assessment: 30%-40% continuous coursework assessment and 60%-70% examination

URBP6901. Values in planning (6 credits)

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical basis of urban and regional planning.
It examines the nature and value of the planning process through different theoretical paradigms.
 7
Through active class deliberations on issues surrounding the roles and definitions of knowledge, the
public interest, equal opportunities and ethics in the planning process, students will develop their own
value system in planning.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6006. Planning, managing and financing the development process (6 credits)

Planning in a development process needs to take into account a variety of spatial, sectoral, resources
management and financial factors. This course examines the interactions of these factors in
development processes initiated by the public sector, the private developers or through various modes
of public-private partnership. The intersectoral and spatial implications of the development processes
will be explored through case studies of planning at different geographical scales in the context of Hong
Kong.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6007. Planning sustainable cities and regions (6 credits)

This course focuses on the linkages between sustainable development and the planning of cities and
regions. It comprises three main elements: firstly, a review and discussion of the principles of
sustainable development, the concept of sustainability and related theories and discourses such as
ecological modernisation, secondly, the design of policies to promote sustainable urban and regional
development and related sustainability assessment systems, and, thirdly, contemporary practice in
sustainability planning as reflected in emerging international experience in the field.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6902. Urban design and place making (6 credits)

This course introduces students to the theories, principles, processes, methods and practice of urban
design and place making. Through literature reviews and case studies students begin to clearly
understand the importance of policy, planning, design, and management in place making. Students
comprehend the value of common visions, cultural diversity and community aspirations in the process
of design in the creation of high quality places to live, work and play. Students undertake site specific
place making design projects at the development and public realm context. Students are challenged to
generate visionary, imaginative and realistic responses through investigation, analysis to make
informed design decisions and creative recommendations.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

Elective Courses

(Students shall take a total of 18 credits of elective courses as specialization to be approved by the Head
of the Department. Not all courses are available each year. Applicants should consult the Department
for further information.)
 8
URBP6123. Public transport systems (6 credits)

This course is designed to examine the nature and the role of public transport systems mainly in the
urban context with special reference to high density development. Topics include the nature and the
characteristics of passenger transport, the operation and management of public transit systems,
deregulation and privatization, the role of para-transit, and multi-modal cooperation and competition.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6903. Quantitative methods for transport planning (6 credits)

This course focuses on the transport planning process and examines the following: traffic generation
forecasts; spatial patterns of traffic; modal split models; traffic assignment methods; transport
evaluation; network and local planning; traffic engineering considerations and basic transport
economics.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6131. Transport policy and planning (6 credits)

This course focuses on key issues in transport policy and the implementation of transport plans and
programmes. It examines the role of private and public modes within the overall urban transport system
as well as pedestrian movement planning, airport development and seaport development. The course
uses examples drawn from various countries to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of
alternative policies and implementation mechanisms.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6157. Transport economics (6 credits)

This course helps to develop a specialist appreciation of the economics of urban transport provision. It
highlights the economic principles and techniques employed in planning, operating and managing our
city transport systems and concentrates on topics such as: travel time valuation, road congestion costing
and pricing, public transport finance and cost-recovery, and economic appraisal techniques employed
therein.

Assessment: 40%-60% continuous coursework assessment and 40%-60% examination

MHMP6858. Housing economics (6 credits)

This course provides a basic introduction to economics and the application of economic concepts in the
analysis of housing issues. The course also deals with the principles of cost-benefit analysis and
economic evaluation in general in the housing context. Other topics covered include land policy and
economics, cycles in housing activity, the financing of housing development and privatization. The
course also introduces the functions, principles and methods of valuation.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

 9
MHMP7007. International housing policies and practices (6 credits)

This course aims to compare housing policies and practices at an international scale and to explore
global housing issues. It examines and compares the evolution of housing policies in different housing
systems, the modes of intervention in the housing markets, the roles of the public and private sectors in
housing provision, housing finance systems, and the relationships between housing standards and
societal conditions. Prevailing global trends and issues in housing are also examined.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

MHMP8008. Transitional cities: urban and housing development (6 credits)

Building upon comparative concepts and introductory materials of local knowledge, this course aims to
provide students with the opportunity to explore contemporary urban changes both in the countries that
are undergoing the transition from the planned to a market-oriented economy and in newly
industrialised economies. The course has a regional focus on cities in Pacific Asia, in particular Chinese
cities, and cities in Central and Eastern Europe. By the end of the course, students should be able to gain
an empirical understanding of diverse local contexts and to broaden the concepts discussed in urban and
housing studies.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

URBP6904. Housing, planning and sustainability (6 credits)

This course aims to provide an integrative and in-depth understanding of Hong Kong’s housing system
and its relationships with urban planning and the concepts of sustainable development. It discusses the
theoretical and practical aspects of housing, making special reference to their relationships with urban
planning and sustainable development. Major topics include the housing system concepts, the political
economy of housing policies, land use planning and housing affordability, principals of residential
planning, housing policy analyses, housing market analyses, and the application of the sustainable
development perspective to housing analyses.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

ENVM7012. Environmental economics and analysis (3 credits)

The aim of this course is to equip students with the ability to undertake economic analyses of the
environment. The course provides an introduction to economic concepts and principles and applies
them to the analysis and management of environmental problems. The course covers the economic
understanding of environmental problems (e.g. external costs and benefits, public goods, resource
scarcity), economic instruments for environmental management (e.g. taxes, subsidies, tradable permits),
methods for valuing environmental goods and services (market and non-market approaches), and
economic tools for supporting decision-making (e.g. cost-benefit analysis and multi-criteria analysis).
All topics will be illustrated with current environmental and policy issues to emphasize their relevance
and applicability.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

 10
ENVM8011. Environmental auditing and reporting (3 credits)

This course provides an introduction on the concepts of environmental management, auditing and
reporting. Detailed explanation of the development, implementation and continuous improvement of an
environmental management system (EMS) based on ISO 14001:2015 standards will be covered. With
the understanding on the key elements of an EMS, audit methodology and skills based on ISO
19001:2011 will be introduced with focus on environmental auditing.

In the light of the significant impacts of climate change globally, carbon audit which is a tool to measure
greenhouse gases is considered valuable to be shared with students. The mechanism of carbon audit will
therefore be taught and illustrated by real life examples. The functions and importance of environmental
reporting will be demonstrated by using examples from large corporations in Hong Kong. Key elements
of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards which is a guide for sustainability reporting will also be
covered. In closing, the advantages, disadvantages and next step forward for environmental auditing
and reporting will be explained and discussed.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

ENVM7016. Environmental policy (3 credits)

This course focuses on key aspects of environmental policy-making and policy-implementation

processes, such as how policy agendas emerge and evolve, how environmental discourse shapes policy
outputs; and how institutions affect the trajectories and outcomes of environmental policy measures.
Making references to local, national and international cases of successful and not-so-successful policies
that pertain to the sustainable development agenda, the course also examines the theories and praxis of
policy integration and policy convergence, as well as the perennial problematics of policy failure and
policy learning.

The lectures are organized into three inter-related parts. In Part One, the basic principles and key
concepts pertaining to environmental policy-making and policy-implementation will be examined.
They include agenda setting; environmental institutions and the policy process; policy networks and
advocacy; implementation gap and policy failure; and policy diffusion, convergence and policy
learning. Lectures in Part Two will center on Hong Kong’s environmental policy development. We will
examine the questions of how environmental policy issues have been defined and responses formulated
and implemented; and how the policy agenda and processes have evolved over the past 40 years. For
illustration purposes, two salient policy issues—nature conservation and waste management—will be
highlighted for in-depth discussion. In Part Three, the deliberation of Hong Kong’s environmental
policy issues will be situated in a regional setting. Transboundary externalities that have triggered
innovative policy responses will be reviewed to highlight the roles of science-policy interplay and
policy diffusion in fostering cross-boundary environmental cooperation.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

ENVM8006. Environmental impact assessment (3 credits)

EIA is one of the most important contemporary instruments of environmental management. Used
widely around the world to identify the impacts of development projects as well as strategic plans and
policies, EIA plays a key role in many regulatory systems for the environment. This course reviews the
development of different approaches to EIA, basic analytical principles, administrative systems for EIA,
assessments at the project and strategic levels (SIA) and case study applications in Hong Kong.

Assessment: 50% coursework assessment and 50% examination

 11

ENVM7014 Environmental quality management (6 credits)

This course introduces students to the types, sources and effects of environmental pollution and some of
the key principles and strategies used in combating pollution and managing environmental quality.
Topics include water and air quality management, solid waste management and noise pollution control,
with an emphasis on the situation in Hong Kong.

Assessment: 30% coursework assessment and 70% written examinations

ENVM7017 Environmental law in Hong Kong (3 credits)

This course focuses on the statutory interpretation of the four principal Ordinances and subsidiary
legislation dealing with pollution in Hong Kong; namely the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, the Air
Pollution Control Ordinance, the Noise Control Ordinance and the Waste Disposal Ordinance. Some
consideration will also be given to the Dumping at Sea Ordinance, the Radiation Ordinance, the
Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance, the Environmental Impact
Assessment Ordinance, the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance and international conventions effecting
the law. Students will study the nature of environmental offences, including the requirement for proving
“mens rea” (intent) in order for certain offences to be successfully prosecuted. Students will also be
introduced to the principles of judge made law (the Common Law) and will learn to read and interpret
relevant case law in order to better understand the current sentencing policies towards environmental
offenders, both locally and in other Common Law jurisdictions.

Assessment: 100% coursework assessment

ENVM8012 Environmental health and risk assessment (3 credits)

Environmental Risk Assessments (ERAs) are a tool to determine the likelihood that contaminant
releases, either past, current, or future, pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
Currently, ERAs are required under various regulations in many developed countries so as to support
decision-makers in risk characterization or the selection of cost-effective remedial clean-up. This
course introduces the theory and practice of human and ecological risk assessments. Students
completing the course will gain a sound knowledge of the concepts and principles of ERAs, risk
management and risk communication as applied in practice; understand the basic risk assessment tools
(i.e. prospective, retrospective and tiered approaches) to environmental risk management; be able to
select and apply the simpler tools to tackle risk issues; and appreciate the interpretations of risk and its
role in environmental policy formulation and decision making.

Assessment: 60% coursework and 40% written examination

URBP6017. Geographic information system (GIS) for urban and regional planning
development (6 credits)

This course introduces the basic concepts and methods in the use of geographic information system as a
spatial planning support system in different areas of urban and regional planning and development. It
examines the basic principles and functions of geographic information system in data input,
manipulation, retrieval, visualization and modelling of geographical data for supporting spatial
planning decisions.
 12
Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6905. Globalization and urban and regional development in China (6 credits)

This course examines the processes of globalization and studies its implications for urban and regional
development in China. It studies the general concepts of urban development and the historical legacy
constraining the urban development in China. With China’s accession to WTO membership, special
emphasis is placed on the interactions between the transnational corporations (TNCs) and the different
level of the state and local governments. Regional dynamics will be examined in the context of global
competitiveness.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP8002. International planning policy and practice (6 credits)

This course examines different planning systems across the world. Understanding the key
approaches to urban planning in different countries and regions is important in developing an
appreciation of how different techniques, policies, and practices emerged and developed to
help shape the urban landscapes of various localities within their own contexts. The course
takes a comparative approach to understand and evaluate planning policy and practice and the
planning outcomes across a spectrum of international case studies, and attempts to explain their
differences and similarities by probing into the dynamics between government intervention
and market freedom, diversity in development certainty vis-à-vis land use controls and
planning governance modes.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP8003. Land and real estate markets: smart governance, finance and business models
(6 credits)

This course provides a land and real estate development perspective on urban development. Cities face
continuous processes of both expansion and transformation. Population growth and economic growth
lead to expansion, while processes of obsolescence and decline lead to a demand for urban
transformation projects. These processes usually require investments in land and property
(re)development, while planning interventions provide guidelines to investors, sometimes as
opportunities, but also as barriers to what an investor might see as a profitable investment. The
interaction between planning interventions on the one hand and land and real estate investments on the
other hand is the central theme of this course. Starting from that interaction the course pays attention to
different planning approaches and their impact on land and real estate markets, the dynamics of land and
real estate markets, investment behaviour by private and public developers, public private partnerships,
land management strategies and value capturing mechanisms and smart land and real estate investment
strategies.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6906. Urban planning and practice in China (6 credits)

The course will first review the history of urban planning practice in the People’s Republic of China.
The relationship between economic and urban planning, the evolution of the planning legislation and
the practice of planning at different geographical scales will be discussed. The course will then focus on
 13
planning practice in the Pearl River Delta region and its major cities where the transitional economy is
evolving rapidly. Issues surrounding the institutionalisation of planning regulations, systems and
hierarchy; the formulation and implementation of plans; and problems of development control will be
examined.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6907. Special study in urban planning (6 credits)

Detailed study or studies on a topic or topics in contemporary urban and regional planning approved by
the Head of the Department.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

MUDP2010. Research methods for urban design (6 credits)

The course introduces research design and research methodology and their limitations appropriate for
urban design. Topics include: research paradigms, the emergence of design research, formulation of
research questions; range of research methods and resources needs; choices of research methods and
limitations; formulation of research proposals; use of digital techniques computers in urban design
research.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

MUDP1020. Urban design technologies & innovations (6 credits)

The course focuses on technologies-related tools and techniques in professional urban design practice,
and urban design research that enables designers to fully exploit technologies and techniques for urban
physical environment appraisal, research for and about urban design, urban development design and
communication at small and medium spatial scales. It also includes insights of innovations and
techniques in urban design.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

MUDP1030. Morphologies & Urban design theories (6 credits)

This course provides an introduction to the three natures of urban morphology: natural and built
environment, institutional configurations and urban design theories. Introduction to urban
morphologies will examine key concepts, the study of the formation of urban fabric, the relationship of
these components through time and at different spatial scales in local and international contexts. Urban
design theories describe the state of the art of research about the relationship between urban
morphology and human effects and other impacts referenced to the key historical urban design thinkers.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

MUDP2020. Values of urban design: urban, social, environmental economic (6 credits)

Urban design and real estate engage the complex mechanisms of environmental and social capital in
 14
relation to finance and economics, by seeing design and built environment investment as intrinsically
associated with economics and values. The course is an introduction to the issues arising of these
associations: what roles urban economics play in urban design? From regional and spatial economics to
spatial initiatives and governance to approaches to values in urban design. Conversely how urban
design visioning can have impacts on economics, financial investment and values, including added
environmental, social, cultural and aesthetic values?

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

CONS8103. Charters and legislation of conservation (6 credits)

This course introduces the guiding principles and legal framework for heritage conservation, as
established in international charters and regional legislation, and examines in particular detail their
application in Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

CONS8109. Cultural landscapes (6 credits)

This course focuses on understanding heritage places using the concept of cultural landscapes –
landscapes that reflect distinctive patterns of interaction between people and the natural environment.
The course examines the current theory and practice of cultural landscapes, especially within the
context of Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

CONS8110. Architectural heritage and its significance (6 credits)

This course focuses on heritage buildings and sites in relation to their settings within a socio-cultural
context. Emphasis is placed on the built heritage of Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China. Case
studies are used to illustrate the process of understanding of the heritage values of these buildings and
sites, and how to use these values to prepare a Statement of Significance as part of a conservation plan

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

Urban Planning Studios and Dissertation

URBP7001. Spatial planning studio (12 credits)

This is the first of three studios in the Urban Planning Program and provides the basic foundation for
Planning Studios at regional and territorial, and local community levels. Through class lectures and
literature reviews students are introduced to spatial planning undertaken at these various levels and the
importance of location and space in the resulting spatial pattern. Students are also introduced to and
develop a basic proficiency in graphic (manual and computer 2D/3D visualizations), written and oral
communication skills. Students get hands-on experience working in teams of four or five preparing and
making presentations of preliminary spatial planning projects.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

 15
URBP7004. Strategic planning studio (12 credits)

This studio is designed to enhance student’s understanding of the complex multi-faceted nature of
planning in the international, regional and metropolitan context. Students will be exposed to the
strategic planning context of Hong Kong. A compulsory fieldtrip outside Hong Kong will be arranged
to provide a better understanding of the international and practical planning issues. The territorial
component of this studio will investigate and evaluate an urban planning and development policy issue.
Students will work in a multi-disciplinary team, simulating a consultancy/task force situation. They
will carry out a literature review, data collection, qualitative and quantitative analysis, evaluation and
making recommendations. They are expected to relate theory to practice with a multi-dimensional
perspective, and through interaction with concerned stakeholders, to recognize the social,
environmental, economic and political challenges so as to reach a balanced recommendation.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP8001. Community planning studio (12 credits)

In this studio, students will work in partnership with local community groups and relevant stakeholders
and apply their theoretical knowledge and practical skills to generate visionary, imaginative and
realistic sustainable development plans for a local district in Hong Kong. Students will have ample
opportunities to practise and refine their questionnaire design, survey, analysis, communication, urban
design and presentation techniques and skills.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

URBP6865. Dissertation (24 credits) (Capstone experience)

The candidate shall present a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words no later than 30 May or on a
date approved by the Head of Department in the final year of study. The dissertation must be related to
the candidate’s area of specialization and to the optional specializations selected. The examiners may
prescribe an oral examination on the subject of the dissertation.

Assessment: 100% continuous coursework assessment

21 Sep 2018
6 Sep 2019