705-112 Skills for Urban Planning and Management

The subject develops students' ability to search for and analyse various kinds of urban planning data and to present material effectively in graphic form, in writing, in statistical form and in the spoken word. It covers simple computer-aided design (Autocad) and simulation (Photoshop); interpretation (and production) of topographic maps, plans and design concepts; aerial photography; introduction to desk top mapping (MapInfo); thematic mapping. Census and Statistical Data: time series and other statistical data sources (ABS), CData96 and CLib96.PData retrieval and usage. Layout and structure of reports and essays: critical reading and thinking; structuring an argument; public speaking and debating; organisation of information; audience orientation; visual support material principles of logic. Style, syntax and written expression. Introduction to University Library catalogue -Innopac, searching articles, referencing and bibliographic techniques; introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Statistics for urban planning: data sources, sampling, questionnaires, variables, frequency distributions, generalizations, probability and sampling, binomial distribution, normal distribution, tests of significance, test hypothesis, chi-square distribution.

Weekly exercises not exceeding 3500 words including some verbal presentations, class participation, computer generated images, use of web sites designed to apply the lecture material.