Creativity in urban design

Making the Connection between the Curriculum & Professional Practice in Town Planning & Urban Design (University of Westminster)

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which teaching in urban design (Planning Law and Development Control) promotes creativity in students. The project involved a literature review as well as surveys of 50 practitioner organisations, 108 undergraduate and postgraduate students in five schools, and the module leaders of 23 schools. Some of the main conclusions and recommendations are:

• Creativity is important in urban planning in so far as the new economy requires that towns and cities are able to attract creative businesses. Therefore, urban planning units must, themselves, be creative and innovative.
• Employers tend to define creativity as problem solving and flexibility. Many felt that planning education should place more emphasis on short, client-led projects, role-playing, and work-based learning.
• There is considerable evidence that creativity is (often implicitly) encouraged in the planning curriculum. While a wide range of methods is used in the schools surveyed, a number of institutional barriers were identified which include: time/space in the curriculum, modularisation, the students' capabilities, inadequate studios, and budgets.
• Innovation and creativity are best conceived as capabilities which can be fostered in individual and group learning through explicit learning outcomes and assessment criteria, as well as creating time and freedom for experimentation, within a supportive and positive learning environment.
• Employers and practitioners should encourage staff to become "creative practitioners" through staff development, appraisal, and by promoting "learning organisations".
• Students should be aware of the skills and capabilities they have acquired and be prepared to make these explicit when applying for jobs.

A practical guide to creativity

Creativity in Art, Science and Engineering: How to Foster Creativity - Department Of Education & Employment

This book explores factors that help students realise their potential. While it is based on five case studies in engineering, it approaches the topic from a generic point of view and draws recommendations that can be applied to any disciplinary area. The book should be read in conjunction with "Fostering creativity in engineering" (cf. supra in this section).

One of the contributions of this book is in its detailed description of the following case studies:

• Team-based problem solving for engineers (Master and Ph.D. levels at the University of London);
• Encouraging innovation in graduate engineers (industrial setting);
• Creative materials engineering (a polymers course at Imperial College);
• Product development and creative design (undergraduate degree at the University of Brighton);
• Professional skills and attitudes for engineering students (professional course at the University of Queensland).

The analysis of the case studies helped construct a model synthesising the various ways, as illustrated by the case studies, to foster creativity in both higher education and the work setting.

Follow this link for the Final Report

Project Themes:

Graduate Business Start-ups

Key Skills in HE

High Level Lifelong Learning

Guidance for Graduates

Recording Achievement

Labour Market Intelligence

Innovation and Creativity in the Curriculum

Work Experience

© 2001