Urban Design Capstone Studio: Paipa, Colombia

As a city of wellness, Paipa can become an equal and connected town for locals, and a resilient geotourism hub for tourists. As envisioned for the next 30 years, Paipa will not only provide sustainable green infrastructure and exemplary new developments, but also offer cultural and sports events that can brand the city to the world.

Urban Design is the intersection of the frameworks of circulation, public realm, and socioeconomics (cultural and real estate development) that results in an urban ecology. A more accessible definition is the design of the environment where nature, people, and culture exist in harmony and is resilient to inevitable change over time – urban ecology. Building off the Fundamentals of Urban Design studio, and theory and practical skills development through the concentration’s curriculum, the capstone practicum for the Master of City Planning’s Urban Design Concentration will investigate current issues in our urban ecology. 

Pedagogic objectives include: connecting theory, policy, and practice; developing principles to guide design; understanding associations among design, environmental, and stakeholder-user interests; and exploring holistic approaches to sustainability and resiliency through collaborative design.