MA Urban and Regional Planning and Apprenticeship Courses MA Urban and Regional Planning and Apprenticeship Courses
Welcome to the Open Studio pages for the MA Urban and Regional Planning and the MA Urban and Regional Planning RTPI Apprenticeship at the University of Westminster! These pages are meant to share insights into our course activities, showcase student work, and celebrate their achievements. Our goal is to provide a space for current and prospective students, alumni, and industry professionals to learn more about our programs and engage with the field of urban and regional planning.
For questions or additional information, please feel free to contact:
Johannes Novy (Course Leader MA Urban and Regional Planning) or John Somers (MA Urban and Regional Planning (RTPI Apprenticeship)
Planning Consultants in Training
In the second assignment of our Planning Theory and Practice II module, students are challenged to act as consultants as they explore key topics such as ‘economic development’, ‘sustainable mobility’ ‘(urban) resilience’, ‘community-led planning’, or ‘diversity’, and how these insights can inform the regeneration of a specific place. In recent years, our practice partner has been the London Borough of Waltham Forest, with a focus on the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre. This assignment not only allows students to work on their research and writing skills but also emphasises the importance of producing work with real-world relevance. A crucial learning objective is to train students in effective report writing and the quality of submissions is often very good, with many reports being disseminated among staff members at our practice partner and informing their future work. Some outstanding reports from recent years can be found below.
Walthamstow Town Centre Reports (academic year 2023-24)
Reports from the Field (Trip)
Our MA Urban and Regional Planning and MA Urban and Regional Planning RTPI Apprenticeship includes a vital field trip module designed to enhance students’ practical skills and theoretical understanding of urban planning. This module typically involves a week-long visit to one or two European cities, where students engage in field-based research and explore the unique planning challenges and innovative solutions present in contexts outside the UK. As part of the module’s requirements, students are asked to produce a publishable article, video, or photo essay that reflects on their experiences during the trip. This task underscores the importance of effective communication in planning by providing students with opportunities to enhance their ability to articulate insights for broader audiences, particularly in online formats. Reports from recent field trips can be found below.
Amsterdam & Rotterdam (academic year 2024-25)
Professional Practice Week
Twice a year we hold professional practice weeks which involve intensive weeks where guest speakers speak to apprentices and students about topics such as Ecology, minerals and waste, planning appeals. As part of these weeks we hold a two day mini-conference, last year we had the topic of Built Environment Law where we had guest speakers such as Julia Chryssostalis from the Law School speak about law, space and coloniality in South Africa; Karen Winnard speaking about S106 Agreements; and Adam Samuel speaking about dispute resolution in the Built Environment. We find these discussions very valuable in giving apprentices and students exposure to real-world discussions, and knowledge and experiences from the speakers.
Alumni Stories # 1. October 2023:
Cllr Anthony Okereke, the first Black leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and a former student on the course, visited his alma mater to speak with our MA Urban and Regional Planning students. Elected as Leader in May 2022, Cllr Okereke had previously served as Cabinet Member for Housing and has represented Woolwich Common for Labour since 2018. Despite temporarily pausing his studies at Westminster upon becoming leader, he made time in his busy schedule to share insights with our current students, discussing his career, the intricate relationship between planning and politics as well as the importance of planning in shaping and enhancing people’s lives. His experiences in local government provided students with a real-world understanding of the political context in which planning operates, emphasising the need for bold and innovative planners to tackle future challenges and opportunities in boroughs like Greenwich.
