Educating urban designers through design studios

A new educational approach, based upon Problem-Based Learning (PBL), to the education of professionals involved in the urban design process has been developed through the Urban Design and Education Programme, including the so-called design studios. The design studio is an activity that stimulates creativity and problem solving, and is an effective technique used to resolve difficult urban design and management problems. The development of this method is one of a number of activities undertaken by the recently established Urban Design and Education Programme (UDEP). This programme is a joint enterprise established by the UNESCO international Centre for Engineering Education and the Department of Infrastructure within the Victorian State Government. UDEP involves live specific projects including me design studios. Two case studies are presented in great detail in order to illustrate the educational features of the design studios, which have been recently carried out in Melbourne, with the third currently under development. These three cases of difficult urban design problems should provide comprehensive information as to the efficiency of mis technique. Hence. the paper places particular emphasis on the conduct of the design studios.