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MA Urban Design

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The MA Urban Design programme, jointly delivered by the Welsh School of Architecture and the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University, is one of the largest postgraduate programmes of its kind, bringing together the collective expertise of both schools.

The goal of this programme is to enable practitioners and scholars to advance the field of urban design through critical thinking and creative practice.

Our MA Urban Design has links with the Urban Design Group (UDG). One of our MA Urban Design graduates won the student prize at the National Urban Design Awards 2021. Here is a brief introduction to He Wang’s winning submission ‘The Green Loop’.

Coming from a human geography background, I thought I would be disadvantaged due to my minimal architectural knowledge and technical abilities. Instead, I found that my background in geography was beneficial to my understanding of the course, particularly in thinking through the social, economic, and political perspectives of design choices. Moreover, the opportunity to collaborate with peers from different academic backgrounds and gain weekly feedback from tutors has been invaluable and a supportive learning experience that I would recommend.
Beth Henty 2022-23 MA Urban Design

How to apply

For more information on course content, structure, fees and how to apply, please visit our MA Urban Design course information page.

Course team

Course Co-Directors

Dr Nastaran Peimani

Dr Nastaran Peimani

Senior Lecturer in Urban Design
Co-Director of MA Urban Design

Email
peimanin@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 5980
Dr Hesam Kamalipour

Dr Hesam Kamalipour

Senior Lecturer in Urban Design

Email
kamalipourh@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 4463

Core teaching team

Welsh School of Architecture

Dr Nastaran Peimani

Dr Nastaran Peimani

Senior Lecturer in Urban Design
Co-Director of MA Urban Design

Email
peimanin@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 5980
Angela Ruiz del Portal Sanz

Angela Ruiz del Portal Sanz

Teacher in Sustainable and Urban Design

Email
ruizdelportala@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 6515

School of Geography and Planning

Dr Hesam Kamalipour

Dr Hesam Kamalipour

Senior Lecturer in Urban Design

Email
kamalipourh@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 4463
Dr Günter Gassner

Dr Günter Gassner

Senior Lecturer in Politics and Design

Email
gassnerg@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44(0)29 2087 4640
Dr Richard Bower

Dr Richard Bower

Lecturer in Design and Philosophy

Email
bowerr1@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 6293
Dr Matluba Khan

Dr Matluba Khan

Lecturer in Urban Design

Email
khanm52@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 4994

Admissions support

Architecture Admissions