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Each year as part of our practice module, Urban Development Planning MSc students complete a practice engagement project to gain experience of processes of urban change in a fast-changing city context
Developed in partnership with community groups, NGOs, universities and/or local authorities, our practice engagement projects tackle real-life urban challenges, offering students first-hand experience of developing strategies towards transformative, community-centred urban development planning.听
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As well as producing meaningful outputs for local project partners and communities, the practice engagement project aims to build the capacity of students as reflexive urban development practitioners.听
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In recent years, our overseas practice engagements have engaged with cities including Accra, Dar es Salaam, Bangkok, Mumbai, Colombo, Yogyakarta, Istanbul and Liverpool.听
Our previous overseas practice engagements
Discover where we've worked and the organisations we've partnered with in previous years:
2023: Cebu, Philippines
After three years disrupted by COVID-19 related restrictions, 2023 saw the Urban Development Planning MSc听initiate a new partnership with an alliance of community, civil society and public actors in Metro Cebu. Designed in collaboration with the Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors, Inc. (FORGE), this learning alliance saw students work with a number of people鈥檚 organisations and public officials across three municipalities to collectively unpack possible pathways beyond settlement insecurity for the urban poor.听
Check out the photos from our project on Flickr:
Group 2 - Talisay
2022: Liverpool, England
Unable to travel internationally due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, 2022 saw the Urban Development Planning MSc听develop a one-year partnership with a collection of community-led housing actors in the Liverpool City Region. Designed in partnership with Breaking Ground, students worked with three established community-led initiatives to develop city-level strategies designed to unlock the potential of community-led housing and regeneration in the city.
- Check out the photos from our project on Flickr
Flickr Image/Slideshow Widget Placeholder 听- Watch the videos produced by our groups of students working in each area of study in Liverpool
- The case of Granby Four Streets CLT听
YouTube Widget Placeholder 听The case of Homebaked CLT听YouTube Widget Placeholder 听The case of SAFE Regeneration听YouTube Widget Placeholder 听
2019 to 2021: Yogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya, Indonesia
Between 2019 and 2021, Urban Development Planning MSc students worked in partnership with an alliance of community groups and civil society actors in Yogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya to explore questions related to neighbourhood precarity in secondary Indonesian cities. Designed in collaboration with ArkomJogja, the first year of this partnership began with an exploration of tenure security as an intensely dynamic, variegated and multi-dimensional concept in Yogyakarta.
The second year, reshaped by the advent of COVID-19, saw a pivot in focus towards developing an understanding of the role of community-centred processes in reacting to the inequalities revealed and amplified by the pandemic.
The third year then expanded the focus of the collaboration to two additional Indonesian cities (Solo and Surabaya) with students working remotely to investigate the challenges and opportunities confronting efforts to pilot community-led settlement upgrading at scale.听
- Watch the videos produced by our groups of students working on each area of study in Yogyakarta:
Notoyudan
YouTube Widget Placeholder Sudagaran
YouTube Widget Placeholder From Pringgokusuman to Pringgomukti
YouTube Widget Placeholder - Watch the virtual settlement tours that contextualise our project
Kampung Metal Solo
YouTube Widget Placeholder 听Kampung Notoyudan Yogyakarta
YouTube Widget Placeholder 听Kampung Pingir Rel Surabaya
YouTube Widget Placeholder
2018: Colombo, Sri Lanka
In 2018, Urban Development Planning MSc听students travelled to Colombo to work on issues relating to settlement upgrading and relocation in the city.听
- Read the student blog
By Rouchan Liu, Rachel Cobbinah, Di Hu, Celine Sola Gracia, Bayu Laksono Jati
With editorial support from Tim Wickson and Barbara Lipietz- Watch the students' videos
Nawagampura - Diversity in a world Class city (DPU Short Film Competition 2018 winner)
YouTube Widget Placeholder Mayura Place (DPU Short Film Competition 2018 second place)
YouTube Widget Placeholder - Read the students' reports
2014 to 2017: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Between 2014 and 2017, Urban Development Planning MSc听students worked with Tanzanian NGO and members of the Tanzanian Urban Poor Federation in Dar es Salaam. During this time, students focused on issues including land, housing, solid waste management and environmental hazards (e.g. flooding).听
- Watch the students' videos
Flooding (DPU Short Film Competition 2017 winner)
YouTube Widget Placeholder 听Solid waste management (DPU Short Film Competition 2017 second place)
YouTube Widget Placeholder - Read the students' reports
2011 to 2013: Bangkok, Thailand
Between 2011 and 2013 UDP students worked with the , the communities with whom they work and the . Over the three years, students focused on the challenges of settlement upgrading and city-scale transformation, using the innovative Baan Mankong Housing Programme as an entry point.听
- Discover the outputs from our 2012 overseas practice engagement
- Discover the outputs from our 2011听overseas practice engagement
2010: Istanbul, Turkey
In 2010, our Urban Development Planning MSc students travelled to Istanbul to work with local communities to develop strategies capable of promoting the right to the city.
2006 to 2009: Mumbai, India听
Between 2006听and 2009 Urban Development Planning MSc students worked with the National Slum Dwellers Federation, Mahila Milan and SPARC (collectively known as The Alliance) in Mumbai, India. During this three year engagement, our students focused on issues ranging from housing upgrading and relocation, to water and sanitation provision.
- Discover the outputs from our 2009 overseas practice听engagement on community-driven housing policy and planning
- Discover the outputs from our 2008 overseas practice engagement on community-driven housing policy and planning
- Discover the outputs from our 2006 overseas practice engagement on community-driven housing, water and sanitation policy and planning
2004 to 2005: Accra, Ghana听
Between 2004 and 2005 Urban Development Planning MSc students worked with a variety of urban development actors in Accra to explore the potential role of pro-poor public private partnerships as a mechanism to improve housing and infrastructure provision for residents of underserved informal settlements.听
- Discover the outputs from our听2005 overseas practice engagement on development of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA)
- Discover the outputs from our 2004 overseas practice engagement on development of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA)
A reflection by Urban Development Planning MSc student Etienne Von Bertrab (PDF)