Technological University Dublin - City Campus

Urban Regeneration & Development

Introduction
The syllabus reflects the recent focus on regenerating and renewing existing urban areas. The course content includes collaborative planning, place-making in towns and villages, and tackling the challenge of unfinished developments. It will appeal to built environment practitioners and others who wish to broaden their skills in understanding, and managing urban renewal and development.

Students have the opportunity to specialise in community, place-making and development streams.

Aims
This new two year part-time or one year full-time masters degree responds to development subsequent to the economic crisis. It offers students an opportunity to explore the multi-disciplinary challenges of development in existing areas. By focussing on brown-field areas rather than green-field sites, the programme show how economic, environmental and social gains can be achieved, with real benefits to communities and developers.

As new incentives are introduced to encourage investment in 'Living Cities', the programme shows how targeted initiatives can best be used to achieve success. The course is open to prospective students with an honours degree and three years relevant experience.

Course Content
General Structure
The MSc Urban Regeneration and Development is a part- time course that runs over 27 months at the Dublin Institute of Technology. Lectures take place on Thursday afternoons and evenings in semesters 1 and 2. In addition the module in Urban Regeneration and Development Fundamentals will be hosted online and available in the student's own time.

In Year One the Programme is structured to provide modules which ensure that students are exposed to the most current thinking about the core topics of Urban Regeneration and Development – such as: Spatial Planning and Sustainable Communities; Urban Regeneration and Development Fundamentals; Funding, Feasibility and Economics of Regeneration and a core model in Housing Policy and Practice

At the start of the second semester the students chooses their specialism in the Development, Community of Place-Making Stream. Within each stream the student shall take three modules over the course of the Programme and explore their speciality in depth, with a grounding in theory as well as an investigation of topical issues and case-studies. Students may also select two elective modules from across the Institute's Programmes.

Year Two: A two semester regeneration project is a key element in the second year of study. The class focus on an urban area or region that is poised for renewal. The students' multi-disciplinary skills are then used to develop a detailed redevelopment proposal that will be presented to external reviewers. In addition students undertake a module in European Regeneration and Development. As part of this module, students undertake a study trip to a city abroad that is experiencing major redevelopment, and meet with regeneration professionals and community leaders. The Year also includes a module in Research Techniques that prepares the student for their Final Year dissertation.

By the end of Year Two students will have selected a dissertation topic and will develop a 15-20,000 detailed exploration of their chosen field for submission at the mid-point of the subsequent semester.

Entry requirements

An Honours bachelor degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent is required. Eligible candidates may be interviewed where work/career experience is being considered in lieu of academic qualifications.

Note: Satisfying the minimum entry requirement is not a guarantee of a place. Applications will be assessed based on your academic grades and may also take into account your work/life experience. Graduates are eligible for the award of MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development of the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Duration

2 years part-time
DT9119 (Sept)

25 months: From start of 3rd week in September to mid-October. Formal attendance is required on campus one afternoon and one evening a week during term.

Careers or further progression

Career Opportunities
This is a new course that reflects opportunities in regeneration at a local and national level. Based on experience elsewhere, it is anticipated that there will be significant opportunities in both the public and private sectors.

The programme is intended to equip graduates with the skills to critically engage with a wide variety of disciplines and sectors. This allows graduates to facilitate and manage regeneration from a developmental, community and place-making perspective.

Further enquiries

Odran Reid
Department of Environment and Planning
School of Spatial Planning and Transport Engineering
College of Engineering and Built Environment
DIT Bolton Street
Dublin 1

T: 01 402 3771
E: odran.reid@dit.ie

Subjects taught

CORE MODULES DT9119 MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development

Communities, Development and Change (5 credits) provides an introduction to concepts of community, theories of community development, trends in Irish community development policy and examines the relationship between community development, planning and development and urban and rural renewal.

Urban Regeneration and Development Fundamentals (5 credits) This module introduces the student to current theories of urban regeneration and development. It provides an historical introduction to the topic and focuses in detail on urban regeneration and development from the mid-twentieth century onwards. It discusses recent developments in Ireland and abroad and examines current trends.

Spatial Planning and Sustainable Communities (5 credits) Students explore how communities are formed and changed by the interaction of environmental, social and economic forces. It explores planning legislation and its strengths and weaknesses in shaping communities.

Funding, Feasibility and Economics of Regeneration (5 credits) This assists the student to understand the funding, feasibility and economic basis for regeneration projects. It provides the student with a detailed introduction to financial aspects of regeneration. It gives the students an understanding of the economic constraints and opportunities relating to complex projects.

Housing (5 credits) This module introduces students to Irish housing policy and its evolution in recent times. They study various approaches to housing provision. They also explore the range of current issues facing housing policy makers and the relationship between housing, community and sustainable economic development.

Urban Regeneration and Development Project (10 credits) This involves the preparation and presentation of a regeneration and development project for an urban area that is in need of renewal. It involves the survey, analysis and planning of a scheme for the physical, economic and social improvements of a built-up neighbourhood. This will include detailed engagement with relevant stake-holders.

European Regeneration and Development (5 credits) Students travel to a European city outside of Ireland and explore contemporary issues in urban regeneration and development through meeting expert urban professionals and practitioners. The class will critically analyse contemporary examples of regeneration and development policy, and produce a detailed report that will allow them to apply knowledge from projects elsewhere to preparation and delivery of regeneration and development in Ireland.

Research Techniques (5 credits) This module provides the skills to understand sources of information, data analysis and computation relevant to research. They will explore the latest development in GIS software and applications that will assist the student in writing their dissertation.

Dissertation (25 credits) This is a self directed learning module which is reported in a dissertation between 15,000 and 20,000 words. The module will be supplemented by a number of lectures on research and report writing skills. The dissertation will be an original piece of work by the student on a relevant regeneration and development topic and is a mandatory requirement for the award of a Masters degree.

STREAM MODULES DT9119 MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development

As part of the Masters Programme students shall elect to specialise in one of the following three streams. Once they have chosen the stream by the end of the first semester they will be required to take each of the three modules in their chosen field.

Students must choose one of the following three optional streams and are required to take all three modules in the stream of their choosing.

Development Stream :

Property Development Valuation Techniques

Development Appraisal

Property Finance and Investment

Community Stream:

Communities, Development and Change

Society and Sustainable Development

Local Governance, Development and Innovation

Place-making Stream:

Collaborative Planning

Urban and Building Conservation

Place-Making

Elective Modules in MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development:
Students select two modules from in Year One. They may select from within the School or College or may opt to select from the entire Institute's offerings.

Comment

Location
College of Engineering and Built Environment, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1.

Timetable / Hours
25 months: From start of 3rd week in September to mid-October. Formal attendance is required on campus one afternoon and one evening a week during term.

Qualification Awarded:
Graduates are eligible for the award of MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development of the Dublin Institute of Technology. Currently accreditation is being sought from by the Institute of Economic Development, and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Currently accreditation is being sought from by the Institute of Economic Development, and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

This course is delivered by: School of Spatial Planning and Transport Engineering