Who am I and why I choose MAUD

Personal background and life as a student in the UK

Hi, i am Fei Yang Xu. I come from Shanghai and i am currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Urban Design at Newcastle University in the UK. I am an easy-going person and have always been curious about urban spaces since childhood. I enjoy assembling architectural models and strolling around cities to observe people’s daily lives. These interests often lead me to ponder how people and spaces are interrelated. The UK’s unique architectural style and rich urban atmosphere have drawn me here to study. Since arriving in the UK, I have been gradually adapting to my new life. I frequently explore different neighborhoods and public spaces in the city, relishing the novelty of my study abroad experience. For instance, I often take walks in the park with my friends, enjoying the lush greenery there.

Reflections on Relocation Experience and Urban Space

During my growth, I moved three times. These experiences also made me notice some inequalities in urban spaces: The first time I moved to an old district, there were many elderly people, but no ramps for the disabled, and it was even inconvenient to buy vegetables. The second time I moved to a new district, it seemed to have a lot of greenery, but there were very few children’s playgrounds, and next to them were parking lots, making it very unsafe for children to play. The third time I moved to the district center. Although there were green spaces, subway stations and expressway entrances nearby, the transportation was very convenient. However, the park and green space planning was unreasonable and the utilization rate was low. Moreover, there was a lack of public leisure spaces within the community, and it could not provide a place for people to stop and socialize like large communities. This contrast between convenience and deficiency has made me to think about urban space planning: What changes in the community can truly enhance residents’ happiness?

Image Source: Google Maps

Why choose the Urban Design major?

When I was in university, I majored in environmental design. While doing design assignments, I was particularly interested in the design of communities and public spaces. However, I often felt that my plans were not mature enough and did not fully meet the actual usage needs. Thus, I realized that my knowledge was not comprehensive enough and my experience was lacking. This made me more determined to pursue further studies. I hope to learn more about the relationship between people and space, as well as urban planning, and improve my ability to solve practical problems. The urban design major involves multiple fields such as architecture and planning, which is very consistent with my goal of improving urban spaces and enhancing people’s lives. It is these growth experiences and observations that have led me to choose urban design as my major for further studies. I hope to explore through this major how to make cities more livable and enable more people to enjoy better public spaces and community environments. In the future, I also look forward to contributing to community construction with the knowledge I have learned, so that more people can live in a more comfortable urban environment.