Spatial Planning with Environmental Sustainability MSc at Masters Showcase

In this course, students learn to apply urban design principles and practices to create sustainable quality spaces and places in urban environments. The course is about creating places that enhance wellbeing and are sensitive to environmental considerations.  

Showcase Spotlight: Freya Austin

As part of the Sustainable Urban Design module, Freya redesigned Castlemilk in Glasgow. This deprived area is classed as a 'food desert' because residents have so little access to affordable fresh food. Her work was influenced by the theme of soft urbanism, which puts the social needs of the residents at the centre of design decisions. 

Freya’s final design centres on small-scale interventions. It restores a sense of pride in the area's historic agricultural heritage, and transforms a car park into a space that encourages intergenerational relationships, building on the community already there. Women’s safety was a major consideration, with more homes and buildings looking out onto the streets, as well as increased lighting and pedestrianisation of the area.