Upon Reflection

First Impressions

Urban design was something very new to me. The only experience I’ve had in relation to it was how to construct the things we design. So, coming into a module which further explores principles of urban design had me excited to learn. The apprehension only settled in after the first session where we learned about the nature of the coursework: the blog.

Blog writing was a new and daunting experience. I have written many lab reports and research reports in the past, but they are completely different to a blog. Being involved with the setup of the blog from the first session helped us familiarise ourselves with the blog site. Working on the banner design in a small group helped get to know my classmates better. I was a little unsure about the lectures I had chosen to write about as I only had the titles to go from. However, as with any challenge, I strived to do my best.

The Blogging Experience

Each lecture in this module was interesting, offering broader perspectives in the application of urban design theories. However, I felt like some were more straightforward than others in terms of blog content. I think this is where I struggled the most, deciding what to include in the blog which created a dialogue with the lecture.

The blog-writing experience itself was very educational. I explored a range of literature which helped me have a better understanding of the lecture content. Reading papers helped me gain various perspectives on topics which helped me to form my own opinions. Reading the other blogs also offered new ideas that I hadn’t previously considered. Since everyone has a different background, I learned a lot from their own experiences and thoughts. The word limit seemed short at first (I’m used to writing longer reports), but it helped me narrow down the information to the key points.

Main Takeaways

Overall, I have enjoyed the blogging experience! It was fun having a different coursework style which was more challenging than I thought. I have developed research, critical thinking and writing skills, and have learned a lot about myself and my writing style.

For next semester’s blogs, I will simplify the planning process for myself. Having a better idea of what to include before researching will help me focus on finding the relevant papers and not spend too long reading irrelevant articles. I think I should also write more concisely to make the content easier to understand for a wider audience.

I think the blog is a great platform to share what we have learned over the semester. Reflecting on my experiences so far, I am looking forward to continuing my journey in urban design.