SHIFTING URBAN DESIGN PEDAGOGY: REFLECTION ON OPPPRTUNITIES IN AN URBAN DESIGN STUDIO DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

How does one teach a subject that requires extensive site interaction with people and public places where a pandemic is rampant? The challenge is two-fold; with studios aiming to achieve intended design outcomes essential to developing students’ ability to tackle complex design problems there exists a real fear for health and safety. Though the verdict on efficacy of online learning as part of urban design pedagogy is still pending, this paper will present the challenges and opportunities in pedagogical approaches and problem solving while portraying a holistic analytical picture of the undergraduate urban design studio. The outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic in March of 2019, forced all tiers of education to re-evaluate its studio methodology within a matter of weeks. Architecture and urban planning schools worldwide had to redesign a centuries old studio model that relied exclusively on face-to-face interactions to develop a culture of discussions and exchange of ideas. Several reactions and responses to address this challenge are in progress, amidst uncertainty and fluidity, towards the teaching and implementations of urban design. This paper is a documentation and analysis of an urban design studio at an undergraduate level that adopted the online mode of learning in 2020. There is discussion on content formulation, teaching methodology and student outputs to encompass the challenges and opportunities arising from teaching the urban studio online. To achieve the goal urban design studio and urban design theory courses were analysed in terms of student engagement and satisfaction viz a viz online teaching. The hybrid mode of teaching that maintains a balance between face to face and online learning may be a more effective pedagogy in future. Keywords: Online Teaching, Hybrid Teaching Asaptability, Urban Design, Pandemic