Introduction to Urban Design Principles and History

General Information

Urban design is a key contributor to the health, livability and economic value of cities. An understanding of the evolution of urban design principles and history will help you make the right decisions in shaping your communities.

Graphic credit: Ferrell Madden Assoc./Keith Covington, 2007

Who Should Attend?

• Planners
• Architects
• Landscape architects
• Elected officials
• Members of planning and zoning boards
• Developers
• Transportation engineers

Course Format and Topics Covered

This course offers two complementary day-long sessions, linked by common themes.

The first day will provide participants with a foundation in the urban design principles most relevant to urban planning. This session will introduce you to:

• The formal language of the city
• Fundamental design elements such as Block, Street and Square
• Principles and regulations governing the distinction between public and private space

The second day will apply these principles to a discussion of the most prominent movements in urban design history in the Western world since the 1850s. This session will introduce you to:

• The origins of modern urban design
• A comparison of major design philosophies such as the Monumental City, Garden City, Modernist City, Post-Modernism and New Urbanism
• A critical examination of how history shapes influential new design ideas

Registration

The registration fee of $425 includes continental breakfast and coffee both days. Participants will also receive a workbook containing related course materials. Sign up by February 14 to avoid the $50 late fee!

Instructor Bios

GEOFFREY FERRELL, CNU, FBCI

Mr. Ferrell has produced urban design projects across the United States for two decades. Before establishing his own firm in 1992, he was a designer/code writer for Duany Plater-Zyberk Architects and Town Planners in Miami. He later served as the Director of Urban Design for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council in Florida. Current projects include urban design and writing a model mixed-use code for Prince George's County, Maryland and the Form-Based Coding element of the new Denver, Colorado Unified Development Code (with Code Studio).

Other of Mr. Ferrell’s recent projects include: an urban design Masterplan for the new DART Station Area in Farmers Branch, Texas; a New Urbanist industrial district in Midway, Kentucky; and a Masterplan with Form-Based Codes (with Dover Kohl & Partners) for the redevelopment of the Columbia Pike Corridor in the Washington DC area. His work is featured in the book The New Urbanism by Peter Katz.

Mr. Ferrell holds a Master of Architecture degree with a Certificate in American Urbanism from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor of Architecture from Oregon School of Design, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy from Willamette University. He is a Charter Member of the Congress for the New Urbanism and a Charter Board Member for the Form-Based Codes Institute.

SONIA HIRT, Ph.D., AICP, Arch. Dipl.

Dr. Hirt is an Assistant Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg. She holds doctoral and masters degrees in urban planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an architecture degree from the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Sofia, Bulgaria. She also has several years of professional planning experience in Ohio and Michigan.

Dr. Hirt’s research interests include urban design history and theory, comparative planning models and European urbanism. She has published in journals such as the Journal of Planning Education and Research, International Planning Studies, Urban Geography, Journal of Planning History, Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, and Journal of the American Planning Association. Her research has been supported by foundations such the American Association of University Women and the American Council of Learned Societies.

Accreditation

This course is eligible for 1.4 Virginia Tech CEU credits and may qualify for additional continuing education credits.

Course Location

This course will be offered at Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region location at 1101 King Street in Old Town Alexandria.

For directions and hotel information, please visit the Location & Lodging section on our Planning Academy site.