Reflexive summary: My Last Journey
The Last Journey of the Principles and Practice of Urban Design Class
At the beginning of this writing, I remembered the moment when I first chose an urban design class. The opportunity to experience some of the master’s courses in urban design through the MArch course was a great attraction to me. It is because I have a deep interest in urban design and have experience participating in urban design projects during my undergraduate and practical work.
This semester’s urban design class was especially highly anticipated. It was because listening to lectures from various experts, organising thoughts, and sharing knowledge through blogs would be a very effective way to learn. Lectures on diverse topics covered during this semester were beneficial in expanding my thinking and understanding. It is important for students to learn independently, but I realised the value of lectures that provide professional insights once again.
However, choosing a topic, writing a blog, and leaving reflective comments on it were more challenging than expected. Beyond just writing, organising one’s thoughts clearly and developing through communication with others has never been easy.
Blog Challenge
During one semester, I learned a lot by listening to lectures from various experts in urban design. In particular, blog posts and reflective comments that my colleagues wrote sincerely motivated me. Even after I listened to the same lecture, I realised how diverse the field of urban design has the potential for interpretation through my colleagues’ various perspectives and writings on topics.
For blog topics, I chose child-friendly urban design and Residential Design. As someone who was primarily involved in urban planning projects centred on commercial and cultural facilities in the past, the themes of children and housing provided me with an opportunity to explore new perspectives.
In the first blog, Child-Friendly Urban Design, we studied the importance of child-friendly urban design based on a critical view of modern cities designed around adults. Beyond creating a playground, we were able to explore a safe and accessible urban environment that could accommodate children, families, and communities. The second blog, Residential Design, focused on sustainable residential environments that responded to the changing times and lifestyle evolution. Through flexible layouts, biophilic design elements, and smart technology integration, it was an opportunity to consider how modern residential forms could meet the diverse needs of residents.
These two blogs gave me the opportunity to consider new approaches to designing spaces for children and residential spaces and to rediscover important social values in urban design.
In Conclusion
This semester provided me with an important opportunity to reflect on the complex relationship between cities and humans again, beyond simply building academic knowledge. I think I gained academic growth by organising what I learned through blogging, reflective comments, and exchanging various perspectives with other students.
In the future, I will design a sustainable and inclusive urban environment based on what I learned in this class and try to ensure that urban design has a positive impact on society.
