Urban Environment and Transport Planning

Code:

EC0038

Acronym:

AUTR

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Territory Planning and Environment

Instance: 2014/2015 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Spatial Planning and Environment Division
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Civil Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEC	230	Syllabus since 2006/2007	4	-	5	45	135

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

JUSTIFICATION:
The practice of engineers requires the understanding and assessment of the main problems of the urban environment and transport. The civil engineer, while designer or technician with responsibilities in the planning and administration of the territory, must acquire knowledge in their training on how to intervene and build a more sustainable urban space.

OBJECTIVES:
Provide tools of description and interpretation of the current problems of the urban environment and transport and framing the key strategies, methodologies and instruments of action to resolve them. Reflect and design proposals for urban intervention. 

Learning outcomes and competences

 SKILLS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Knowledge: Describe the major environmental problems, their nature and form of resolution.
Application: Apply methodologies to assess the functioning of urban spaces: the characterization phase, diagnosis and prediction.
Analysis: Evaluate and distinguish urban problems and needs for intervention. Develop capacities for analyzing and comparing different types of methodologies and performance in urban space. Discuss best strategies and intervention processes in urban areas.
Summary: Proposing criteria and explain the choice of leading to more sustainable solutions in urban areas.
Evaluation: Evaluate and criticize existing tools and methodologies, and develop recommendations for a more sustainable development. 

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

The previous knowledge gained in Curricular Units Environmental and Social Impact Assessment  and Territorial Planning, will constitute an advanage for better performance in AUT.

Program

CHAPTER 1 – Analysis of the evolution of urban dynamics and their relation with the main urban problems. Review of characteristics of cities: from the medieval city to the industrial city, metropolis, city region, global city. Examples of the city of Porto and Lisbon.

 

CHAPTER 2 – Study of the functioning of urban spaces

2.1 – The socioeconomic system. Introduction to demography. The importance of demography in urban and regional planning. Main demographic variables. Presentation and application of cohort survival method. Housing and collective facilities. Example of programming facilities and networks of facilities.

2.2 - Characterization, diagnosis and planning urban spaces subjected to principles of urban sustainability. Application to am area of the city of Porto.

 

Theme 1 – Community and Built Environment
Theme 2 – Mobility and transports
Theme 3 – Natural Environment and Public Space

CHAPTER 3 - Transports and urban environment. Relation between Transports – Land Use. Mobility and accessibility.

CHAPTER 4 – An economic perspective on cities. From Regional Economy to Urban Economy. Input-output analysis and location quotients.

CHAPTER 5 – Ideologies: strategic vision and sustainable development: integration of perspectives and objectives of intervention. Sustainable Development: objectives and antecedents. Other contemporary paradigms. The urban environment in the contemporary city.

 
DEMONSTRATION OF THE SYLLABUS COHERENCE WITH THE CURRICULAR UNIT'S OBJECTIVES:
Students are encouraged to apply the learned knowledge to study examples of real municipal systems and municipal strategic plans for sustainable development.

Mandatory literature

Hugh Barton, Marcus Grant and Richard Guise; Shaping neighbourhoods. ISBN: 0-415-26009-4
Matthew Carmona, ... [et al.]; Public Places - Urban Spaces. ISBN: 978-1-85617-827-3
of the Expert Group of the Urban Environment; European sustainable cities. ISBN: 92-827-8259-X
Mike Hodson, Simon Marvin; After Sustainable Cities?, Mike Hodson, Simon Marvin, 2014. ISBN: 13: 978-0415659871

Complementary Bibliography

ed. by David Banister, Kenneth Button, Peter Nijkamp; Environment, land use and urban policy. ISBN: 1-85898-722-9
ULL; Livro branco da arquitectura e do ambiente urbano em Portugal. ISBN: 972-95943-5-X
Janice Morphet; Effective Practice in Spatial PLanning, Routledge, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-415-49281-2
Pedro J. Salvador Palomo; La planificación verde en las ciudades, Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2003. ISBN: 84-252-1517-X

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical courses. Presentation and discussion of case studies. Research in small groups.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE COHERENCE BETWEEN THE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students are encouraged to develop criteria and establish methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of problems related to the urban environment and transport, to develop capacities to analyze and compare different types of interventions and methodologies of urban regulation, propose solutions to enhance the ability of intervention the urban environment and transport.

Software

QGIS
ArcView
AutoCAD

keywords

Social sciences > Demography
Social sciences > Sociology > Urban sociology
Social sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Achieving final classification requires compliance with attendance at the course unit, according to the MIEC assessment rules. It is considered that students meet the attendance requirements if, having been regularly enrolled, the number of absences of 25% for each of the classes’ types is not exceeded.

The assignment is mandatory.

Calculation formula of final grade

CF - Final classification

EX - Exam

TS - Workgroup of the semester

CF = 0,70*EX + 0,30*TS

(classification of all components of evaluation are expressed for a scale from 0 to 20)

Observations

Working time estimated out of class: 4 hours

Students, who have completed this course in the previous year, do not have to do the practical assignment again.