The Interdisciplinary Urban Design MSc Program is offered under the auspices of ITU’s Graduate School of Science, Engineering and Technology and is conducted in collaboration with three departments within the Faculty of Architecture: Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture. The program was established in 1988 under the ITU Institute of Science and Technology as the “Urban Design Master’s and PhD Program.” Following the restructuring of ITU graduate programs in 2002, the PhD track was discontinued and the master’s program was reconfigured with an interdisciplinary framework.

Urban design is a key instrument for conserving local and distinctive values in a rapidly changing world. In this context, urban design places particular emphasis on creating creative and aesthetically rich urban environments that respect society and its history. Urban design is concerned with improving the quality of urban space and the built environment at a human scale. Accordingly, the program aims to develop expertise in urban design and to provide an academic framework for research and practice across both the theoretical and applied dimensions of the field.

With a focus on enhancing urban spatial quality and physical form, the program seeks to educate qualified specialists who can critically engage with contemporary developments in urban design theory, practice, methods, and processes.

The mission of the Urban Design MSc Program is to provide a strong foundation in the theoretical and methodological evolution of urban design and to develop practical competencies for interventions that enhance the spatial quality of urban areas.

The Urban Design MSc Program requires the completion of 36 credits (90 ECTS). The curriculum consists of compulsory courses (24 credits: a 12-credit design project and 12 credits of lecture-based courses), elective courses (12 credits), and a non-credit course titled Scientific Research, Ethics, and Seminar. The program is completed with the submission and approval of a master’s thesis.

The program equips students with backgrounds in architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture with knowledge and skills in urban design theory and practice. Courses address research methodology, theory, design, and related domains of urban design. The program covers topics such as Environmental Quality of Urban Spaces, Urban Design Standards, Urban Preservation and Renewal, Design of New Residential Areas, Universal Design, Urban Image and Identity, and the Evaluation and Design of Public Spaces. In addition, the curriculum engages with complementary dimensions of urban design, including technology, ecology, transportation, visual communication, urban sociology, urban law, and urban economics.

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Urban Design Master of Science Program Course Plan
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