Innovative Teaching in Town Planning in Architecture Curriculum

Bachelor of Architecture curriculum in Indian Universities includes Subject of Townplanning in its Fourth Year of study. It incorporates Planning Theory and Planningstudio both. While teaching Planning in Bachelor of Architecture curriculum, it isnecessary to decide upon the scope of the subject and needs to be orientedappropriately. The aim of teaching Planning to an Architecture student is definitelydifferent as it is essential to understand the need of learning Town Planning for anArchitect and its application in his practice. It is necessary to teach Planning in sync withArchitectural Design projects in concerned Year of Bachelor of Architecture curriculum.Generally the fourth year consists of Housing and urban Design projects in ArchitecturalDesign. Through appropriate content and teaching of planning subject, it needs to beseen that it is supporting and adding to the understanding of the Design curriculum. Outof various aspects of planning it is important to decide which of them are appropriate forArchitecture curriculum. The paper aims at studying the curriculum of selectedUniversities and associated pedagogy. Comparative analysis of these case studies isused to withdraw the inferences. Inferences are also based upon content of syllabus ofPlanning and its application to Architectural Practice. A common module of syllabus ofPlanning is prepared and appropriate pedagogy is suggested in the form of set ofguidelines. The same is applicable for framing the new syllabus structure for concernedsubject in Indian Universities. It consists of feedback from experts in the field ofArchitecture and Planning which contributes for finalizing content of the subject.


Introduction:
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)Curriculum is designed, guided, and regulated by theCouncil of Architecture, India.It has two Stages, first being of the duration of three yearsand second of two years.In this five years full time degree course, Stage-I of theprogram includes fundamentals of aesthetical and design aspects as well as basics ofstructures and technology.It also includes part of humanities and history.Some of theuniversities have included introduction to civilization and settlement planning studies inStage-I.Stage-II includes advanced technological design aspects and part of legislation law.Professional practice subject of Town Planning or Urban Planning is also introduced inStag-II in Fourth year of B.Arch.It is the stage when students are simultaneouslyintroduced to housing projects in their Architectural Design and also developmentcontrol regulations.Thus it is necessary to frame a certain methodology while teachingplanning which would further be helping the students in learning housing.Theknowledge of planning should be delivered in a way that it will be an important valueaddition to the core subjects of Architectural Design program.The scope of teaching Town Planning should be oriented in such a way that it shouldfacilitate students of Architecture to inculcate appropriate planning aspects in theirconcerned Architectural Design program.
Fourth Year of B. Arch also includes a long Architectural Design program based upon Urban Design.While teaching theories of Urban Design as a subject of Town Planning it should be seen that some of theories which are more relevant to Urban Design Program should be given importance over the others and needs to be taught first in the sequence of teaching and also with appropriate cases related to the Design Program.
Town planning studio has a few assignments based upon Urban Design.It is eventually possible to conduct joint studio of planning and design.It is always better to conduct one assignment based on one aspect with more inputs and depth rather than repeating it.It would also saves a good amount of time based upon the necessity of learning and understanding of housing and urban design it is necessary to include introduction to the basics of real estate management, social aspects and policies of housing while planning the syllabus of B. Arch degree course.Understanding and evaluation of Housing Policy and programmes in India; five year plans, Central government policy; Policy framework for urban and rural housing; Comparative policy analysis; Housing for the low income groups; Cooperative housing, objectives and principles; management and financing of housing projects; investment in housing in public and private sectors.

Proposed Topics for Teachers
Finance for housing: priority in the national plans -role of public and private agencies, role of cooperatives and various institutions.

Real Estate Management:
Real Estate Management is also one of the essential part of Town planning which having very much impact on town development.
Economic concepts of land, objectives and scope of land economics; economic principles of land uses; economic rent, land use and land values, market dynamics and impact on land use pattern, Development of Land and Real Property process-cost of development, source of finance, Economic aspects of land policies at various levels of decision making, Private ownership and social control of land all these are to be studied in Real Estate Management.Teaching of Civilization and settlement with emphasis on its evolution in terms of physical as well as social aspects.
While teaching town plan and civilization emphasis also should be given on building types an especially housing.
Environmental aspects of planning needs to incorporate teaching of environmental aspects of individual built form as well.
Though listed, detail and in depth teaching of only those planning theories which are relevant to Architectural Design and Practice remaining listed theories may be taught in brief as a part of developing the knowledge at a preliminary level.
Development planning and regional planning may be introduced at an introductory and basic level and not in depth.Instead Town Planning scheme may be taught in detail and as a part of planning studio so as to facilitate in inclusive learning of housing.
While teaching planning legislation more assignments needs to be focused upon development control regulations which helps students in their Architectural Design studio and in future practice as well.
Urban Design and housing, these units should be taught on priority basis and in detail as they are an important and relevant part of the Architectural Practice.

Town Planning Exercises conducted in Architectural Curriculum:
The objective of Town Planning subject in architecture curriculum is to provide town planning inputs to architectural design.It is intended that Town Planning exercises should run parallel to the topics being taken up in architectural design studio.The focus will be on application of town Planning theories in Town Planning studio.
Exercise: 1-Case studies of various types of housing.
Aim:To provide Town Planning inputs to architectural design project.
Objective:To study and analyse the various typologies of housing related to Architectural design project.
To study and analyse the area distribution and various land uses of a housing layout.Aim:To reduce the conflict between the movement space and the social space within the public spaces and create a people friendly environment.
Objective: To reduce conflict between the vehicular and pedestrian domains giving due priority to the pedestrian.
To adopt a contextual and climate friendly approach to the design of street furniture and public amenities (sense of place) -shopping arcades, outdoor seating, lighting, telephone kiosks, public toilets To create an interesting shopping environment providing place for social interaction.
To provide for informal sector.Proposal guidelines for enhancing / redesign in terms of urban and landscape aspects for both the roads.
Expected Learning outcome: Understanding of variety of problems in the combination of the vehicular movement space and the social space within the same physical area, where the greatest amount of human contact and interaction takes place and providing guidelines as a solution.
Actual Learning outcome: Students learned that how the aspects of urban design & landscape design plays important role in enhancing the urban area.Data collection & surveys are necessary to identify the current issues in urban area.Based on this students proposed some guidelines for revitalization of Ferguson College Road.

References:
and Significance of the Subject: Town Planning in Architecture Curriculum.2) Structure and content of the subject of Town Planning and its stage wise distribution among Five Years of B.Arch.degree Course.3) Framing the syllabus of Town Planning in Second Stage of Architecture (Fourth Year) to support Architecture Design Curriculum.4) Planning Theories and their application.5) Settlement Study as an essential part of Architecture Design subject from initial stage.
13) Cartwright T.J. (1991) Information Systems for Urban and Management in Developing Countries.The concept and reality, computers, environment and urban systems Vol.15, 1991.5.Guidelines regarding appropriate planning pedagogy inArchitecture curriculum: Appropriate framework and content from the subject of Town Planning to be introduced in the subjects of Design and humanities in Stage-I of B.Arch.Settlement study as an essential part of Architectural Design Subject in Stage-I Appropriate hierarchy of settlements and correct typology from First Year B. Arch. to Fourth Year B.Arch.
Fig: 1 Sit plan of Housing scheme

Fig: 5
Fig: 5 Introduction & connectivity to Karjat Relocation of on street parking and creation of parking pockets.Methodology: Lecture on importance of urban design & landscape design in Planning.Assignment based on the urban design & landscape design aspects.Case study: Study of existing scenario of the given area.Assignment: 'Revitalization of Ferguson College Roadcreating a people friendly public domain.'Study of existing situation of both sides of the roads.

Fig: 9
Fig: 9 Land Use Map of Ferguson College Road.

Fig: 12
Fig: 12 Design proposals for transportation issues.

Part of Theories of Human Settlements:
Addition to this, Land use restrictions, compensation and requisition taxation of capital gain on land, Valuation of land and property portfolios, Methods of valuation, Definition of real estate -physical, financial and social perspectives, Comparison of real estate to other investment avenues; real, local, national and global factors affecting real estate, Concepts of real estate analysis-Mapping supply to understand markets, Demand factors affecting real estate development, Demand-Supply Gap analysis, Real estate as facilitator of development, Transaction and renting of real estate, Lease deeds/ sale deeds, sale documents, registration; Mortgage and pledging.,Real estate dynamics in metropolitan cities and tier I tier II and tier III cities, these are also essential topics for study.While studying Town Planning emphasis also should be given to theories of Human settlements.Relevance and Introduction to human settlements, history of Indian settlements, history of settlement patterns in the world during various periods, detail study of settlement theories, planning models & study related to it, spatial aspects of settlement planningthese are the topics to be included are discuss in details as-Relevance and Introduction: Need of learning theories of human settlement.Relevance of the theories in present context, Applications of theories in policy making, Introduction to Ekistics, the science of human settlements, Evolution of planning theories over a period of time History -World:Settlement patterns during Sumerian, Egyptian, Crete -Minon and Mycenean, Greek, Roman, Mediaeval, Byzantine, Renaissance and Baroque period.(Case studies -Deir El Medine, Kahun, Ur, Uruk, Tape Gawrs, Tel, El Amarna, Babylon, Gournia, Knossos, Palaikastro, Athens, Miletus, Olynthus, Prine, Rome, Pompeii and Thebes etc.).study of Theories: Theories of city development including Concentric Zone Theory, Sector Theory, Multiple Nuclei Theory and other latest theories; Land use and land value theory of William Alonso; Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Concept; and Green Belt Concept; City as an organism: a physical, social, economic and political entity; Emerging Concepts: global city, inclusive city, safe city, etc.; City of the future and future of the city; Shadow cities, divided cities.