Master’s in Public Space Design and Placemaking Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in public space design and placemaking engineering, with 12 modules covering place theory, public life studies, spatial composition, materials and furniture, urban landscaping, programming and activation, tactical urbanism, inclusive placemaking, co-creation and streets as places, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Public Space Design and Placemaking Engineering — studying from Canada
Canada's infrastructure needs drive significant civil engineering activity, from highways and bridges to urban transit and water systems. Major transit projects in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary involve rail, tunnelling and smart city technologies. Rail operators and suppliers, including Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National, depend on engineering expertise in track, signalling and structures. Provincial ministries of transportation and municipal engineering departments are key employers, alongside consulting firms.
Fees for Canada: C$9,230 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Who regulates civil engineering titles in Canada, and does SEIUM count?
Civil engineers in Canada are typically licensed as Professional Engineers by provincial associations, such as Engineers Canada's member bodies, which set licensing requirements including accredited education and experience. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. They do not by themselves grant a P.Eng. licence, so check with the relevant association.
Are these qualifications useful to rail or smart city employers in Canada?
Canada has significant rail, transit and urban infrastructure work, including major projects in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Public agencies and consultancies usually prioritise licensed engineers and verifiable experience. A SEIUM qualification may complement your profile, but whether it is recognised is for each employer to decide, so it is worth asking them before you commit.
Can I study part-time while working, and is employer funding possible?
Yes, the programmes are 100% online, so you can study from home without a student visa and fit sessions around work. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports you. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, depending on your employer's policies.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse public life through systematic observation methods.
Design human-scale public spaces with climatic comfort.
Select durable and accessible materials and furniture.
Plan the programming and activation of public spaces.
Implement tactical urbanism prototypes.
Facilitate co-creation processes with the community.
Assess the quality of places after their transformation.
Who it's for
- Public space designers.
- Placemaking specialists.
- Urban landscape architects.
- Urban participation officers.
- Managers responsible for programming public spaces.
- Tactical urbanism consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into local government.
What you'll work with
- Orden TMA/851/2021 (accessibility in urbanised public spaces)
- UNE-EN 1176 (playground equipment)
- UNE-EN 1177 (impact-attenuating playground surfacing)
- UNE-EN 13201 (road and street lighting)
- UNE 41510 (accessibility in urban planning)
- Agenda Urbana Española 2019 (Spanish Urban Agenda)
- Real Decreto Legislativo 7/2015 (Spanish Land and Urban Regeneration Act)
- SketchUp
- Rhino
- ENVI-met
- QGIS
- Lumion
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Jane Jacobs and the life of streets1.2Jan Gehl: life between buildings1.3William H. Whyte and small urban spaces1.4The PPS concept of placemaking1.5The Power of 10 and scales of place1.6The third place and sociability1.7Urban imageability according to Lynch1.8Place, identity and attachment1.9Critiques of placemaking1.10Case study: reading a benchmark square
2.1Public space and public life studies2.2Pedestrian counts and stationary activities2.3Behaviour mapping2.4Time-lapse photography2.5Intercept surveys2.6Mental maps and perception2.7The Place Game tool2.8Gender and age analysis of use2.9Presenting results2.10Practical exercise: public life study in a square
3.1Proportions of squares and streets3.2Active edges and ground floors3.3Spatial sequences and routes3.4Topography and levels3.5Views, landmarks and orientation3.6Human scale and perception3.7Microclimate and solar orientation3.8Shade and wind in public space3.9Night-time lighting and scenes3.10Workshop: compositional analysis with digital models
4.1Paving: stone, concrete and permeable surfaces4.2Seating furniture: benches and movable chairs4.3Children's play equipment and free-play spaces4.4Fountains and water play4.5Pergolas and shade elements4.6Litter bins, cycle stands and service elements4.7Durability and vandalism4.8Circular economy in materials4.9Construction details at junctions between elements4.10Practical exercise: furniture catalogue for a public space
5.1Species selection and resilience5.2Tree pits and structural soils5.3Trees and summer shade5.4Rain gardens5.5Meadows and biodiversity5.6Efficient irrigation and water reuse5.7Maintenance of green spaces5.8Community urban gardens5.9Seasonal landscape and flowering5.10Lab: thermal comfort simulation with ENVI-met
6.1Programming of uses and activities6.2Markets, fairs and events6.3Temporary and meanwhile uses6.4Management of terraces and retail6.5Street art and culture6.6Play and sport in public space6.7Safe night-time activation6.8Shared management with local organisations6.9Activity indicators6.10Workshop: annual programming plan for an urban park
7.1Origins and principles of tactical urbanism7.2Lighter, quicker, cheaper7.3Paint, planters and temporary furniture7.4Street calming pilots7.5Evaluation of prototypes7.6From temporary to permanent7.7Permits and safety7.8Building with the community7.9Budgets and reused materials7.10Case study: tactical pilot at a school junction
8.1Designing for children and families8.2Older people and age-friendly cities8.3Gender perspective and safety8.4Universal accessibility in design8.5Cultural diversity and appropriation8.6Homeless people and public space8.7Hostile design and its critique8.8Spaces for teenagers8.9Assessing inclusion8.10Practical exercise: gender audit of a public space
9.1Stakeholder mapping and local actors9.2Co-creation methodologies9.3Participatory design workshops9.4Digital participation tools9.5Managing expectations9.6Mediation of use conflicts9.7Feedback to the community9.8Shared responsibility for maintenance9.9Process evaluation9.10Workshop: collaborative design session with residents
10.1Shared streets and level surfaces10.2School streets and safe routes10.3Woonerf and residential streets10.4Pedestrian-priority shopping streets10.5Integration of terraces10.6Space for cycling10.7Conflict-free loading and unloading10.8Street trees and shade10.9Cross-section allocation10.10Case study: transforming a street into a civic axis
11.1Public space management models11.2Business improvement districts11.3Sponsorship and private collaboration11.4Participatory budgeting for public spaces11.5Life-cycle maintenance costs11.6Place quality indicators11.7Post-occupancy evaluation methods11.8Local economic impact11.9Communicating results11.10Practical exercise: post-occupancy evaluation of a renovated square
12.1Site selection and diagnosis12.2Public life study12.3Participatory process with the community12.4Concept and programme of uses12.5Design project12.6Activation and management plan12.7Evaluation and budget12.8Conclusions and future work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is SketchUp, Rhino, ENVI-met, QGIS, Lumion, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: public life studies through systematic observation, tactical urbanism prototypes and post-occupancy evaluations of renovated spaces. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Orden TMA/851/2021, UNE-EN 1176, UNE-EN 1177, UNE-EN 13201, UNE 41510, Agenda Urbana Española 2019, Real Decreto Legislativo 7/2015.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with SketchUp, Rhino, ENVI-met, QGIS and Lumion, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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