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PROJECT OVERVIEW

Working in a team of 4 or 5, students are tasked to co-produce an eZine that features a City of Vancouver neighbourhood of their choice. The content of the eZine comprises individually-written articles and visual contributions that deep-dive into the urban context of the neighbourhood, while also paying specific attention to a pre-determined thematic focus. The articles are reviewed by student peers to ensure quality/coherence of content and, collaborating together as a team, assembled into a well-designed eZine for publication on this PLAN 425 course website.

THEMATIC FOCUS

The thematic focus for the eZine will change in each academic year offering of PLAN 425:

• eZine 2019 – “PATTERNS”
• eZine 2020 – “NODES”
• eZine 2021 – “ACCESS”
• eZine 2022 – “CHARACTER”

INQUIRY-BASED APPROACH

This assignment requires students to investigate the physical/spatial dimensions that give rise to the distinct qualities and characteristics of the neighbourhood. As students observe and document these dimensions, they are also tasked to critically explore the macro forces and planning mechanisms that enable (or, for that matter, disenable) the emergence of such dimensions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Cultivate an intellectual curiosity for the urban built environment through self-directed inquiry, desktop research, and field observation.

• Engage in critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning by identifying and analyzing the connections between urban theory, planning practice, and lived spaces.

• Harness creativity through uninhibited research exploration and team collaboration. Develop essential communication skills, both visual and written.

DELIVERABLES

The eZine is a combination of individual work and team-based collaboration. The key deliverables of this assignment include the following:

1.     Individually-written Article

2.     Peer Review

3.     eZine Product A well-designed and coherent publication comprising all individually-written article contributions, with a concerted effort toward illuminating the thematic focus in a creative and original way.