What about Plan Evaluation? Integrating Evaluation in Urban Planning Studio's Pedagogy

Abstract

Studio courses are one of the main pillars in urban and regional planning pedagogy. However, most emphasis is given to plan making and not to plan evaluation. This article examines an instructor's initiative at leading an advanced urban planning studio on plan evaluation. The methods included extensive literature reviews, analysis of course syllabi, and an examination of teaching methods and students learning outcomes. This article presents lessons learned and recommendations. The key finding is that teaching an urban planning studio on plan evaluation can help to acquire higher order skills, literacies and competencies.

Acknowledgements

I thank my students for the opportunity to coordinate a studio course on plan evaluation. Pushkaraj Paradkar was a valuable teaching assistant in Spring 2009. I also thank the comments provided by two anonymous reviewers.