Urban Public Space Design Course
Online course of 300 hours in urban public space design: 6 modules covering public space in the city, analysis and diagnosis, street and square design, materials, vegetation and climate, management and evaluation, and a public space project, with an assigned technical tutor.
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
Understand the key theories on public space and urban life.
Analyse public spaces using observation and measurement methods.
Design streets and squares with pedestrian priority.
Select materials and vegetation suited to the climate.
Incorporate accessibility, comfort and safety criteria.
Assess the use and quality of existing spaces.
Develop a complete public space project.
Who it's for
- Public space architects
- Urban planners
- Landscape architects
- Municipal planning officers
- Urban works designers
- Urban design consultants
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into local government
What you'll work with
- Order TMA/851/2021 (accessibility in urbanised public spaces)
- Royal Legislative Decree 7/2015 (consolidated Spanish Land and Urban Regeneration Act)
- Spanish Urban Agenda 2019 (national urban policy framework)
- UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda (global urban development framework)
- UNE-EN 13201 (road lighting)
- UNE-EN 1176 (playground equipment)
- Law 7/2021 (climate change and energy transition)
- AutoCAD
- QGIS
- SketchUp
- Ladybug Tools
- Twinmotion
6 modules
1.1Streets, squares and parks as a system1.2The theories of Jane Jacobs, Jan Gehl and William Whyte1.3Social, environmental and mobility functions1.4Human scale and urban morphology1.5Public space and urban life1.6Road hierarchy and superblocks1.7The Barcelona, Copenhagen and Paris models1.8Diagnosing public space deficits1.9Provision indicators per inhabitant1.10Case study: urban reading of an existing square
2.1Methodology of public life studies2.2Pedestrian and stationary activity counts2.3Activity and land-use maps2.4Sunlight and shadow analysis2.5Outdoor thermal comfort2.6Perceived safety and fear2.7Analysis of edges and ground floors2.8Noise and environmental quality2.9Participatory mapping with residents2.10Practical exercise: public life study of a shopping street
3.1Allocation of the street cross-section3.2Shared-level surfaces and pedestrian priority3.3Shared streets3.4Design of squares and places to stay3.5Topography, levels and drainage3.6Street trees and tree pits3.7Street furniture and its layout3.8Play and sports elements3.9Integration of terraces and retail3.10Workshop: redesign of a street cross-section
4.1Urban paving and its durability4.2Permeable paving and SUDS4.3Selection of plant species4.4Heat islands and cooling strategies4.5Water in public space4.6Lighting and night-time use4.7Recycled materials and carbon footprint4.8Maintenance and life-cycle cost4.9Resilience to climate events4.10Case study: climate shelter in a school playground
5.1Public space use ordinances5.2Occupation by terraces and events5.3Municipal management and maintenance5.4Post-occupancy evaluation methodology5.5Use and satisfaction indicators5.6Safety and situational prevention5.7Coordination between municipal services5.8Funding of urban redevelopment projects5.9Project communication5.10Practical exercise: post-occupancy evaluation of a renovated space
6.1Site selection and analysis6.2Public life diagnosis6.3Programme of uses6.4Layout proposal6.5Materials and vegetation6.6Accessibility and lighting6.7Estimated construction budget6.8Maintenance plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AutoCAD, QGIS, SketchUp, Ladybug Tools and Twinmotion, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: public life studies, climate comfort analysis and post-occupancy evaluations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Order TMA/851/2021; Royal Legislative Decree 7/2015; Spanish Urban Agenda 2019; UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda; UNE-EN 13201; UNE-EN 1176; Law 7/2021.
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
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run 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 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with AutoCAD, QGIS, SketchUp, Ladybug Tools and Twinmotion, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. 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 are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme 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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