Sustainable urban form : towards more sustainable environments a pedagogical experience

Abstract EN

Considering their role in the urban environment, urban designers are ina position that allots them to positively influence the efforts to attain the goals of sustainability.

As such, it is vital that urban design students are made aware of the concepts of susta؛nab؛l؛ty,and gain the knowledge and skills that enable them to promote and achieve sound sustainable developments in the future work.

In response, the academic plan of the BSc Urban Planning program in king Saud University (Urban Des^n track) was developed where a number of courses that were specifically designed to build the knowledge and the skills needed for achieving sustainable developments were added.

“Sustainable Urban Form” is one of those courses.

It enables the Urban Des^n student to understand the relationship between “sustainability” and the “urban form”, and explores the urban forms that can producesustainable urban environments which can save energy and resources and whichencourage more sustainable economic and social practices.

This research will present an evaluation of this course, sheds the light on the students’ reaction to it and proves its usefolness in undergraduate urban design education.