Friday, June 13, 2014

TEACHING CITY PLANNING TO CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS: A QUEST FOR APPROPRIATE COURSE CONTENTS AND PEDAGOGY


TEACHING CITY PLANNING TO CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS: A QUEST FOR APPROPRIATE COURSE CONTENTS AND PEDAGOGY

RAVINDAR KUMAR[1]

Assistant professor, Department of Architecture and Planning

NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi-75270, Pakistan


 

Abstract: The subject of city planning is taught to civil engineering students at most of civil engineering programs in Pakistan. However; there are no such research papers; books or published material available that may have explained about the appropriate course contents of city planning for civil engineering students. Similarly; there is no such published data or information of any kind that may have identified the level at which the city planning shall be taught to civil engineering students. Additionally; it is also not explained in any published material that what maybe the prerequisite knowledge required in student of civil engineering for learning the subject of city planning? Moreover; it is also absent in the published literature that; how much weight shall be given to the course of city planning in the curriculum of bachelor of civil engineering? Besides; marks allocated to the subject of city planning also determines the level of interest of civil engineering students towards the course’ and it is also not established in any published source of information that, how to deal with such situation? Furthermore; the significance of the subject of city planning for civil engineering students is also not established in any published material. Whereas; what may be the appropriate methodology for teaching city planning to civil engineering students is also not customary in any published literature whatsoever. Thus; in order to answer these aforementioned questions and its associated issues this research was initiated. The methodology of the research comprises literature review and analysis of the civil engineering curriculums in local and international context and interviews taken from the students and faculty of civil engineering and urban planning on aforesaid issues. The scope of findings includes the appropriate course contents and pedagogic procedure of teaching city planning to civil engineers in accordance with current global practices.

 

Keywords: City Planning Pedagogy, Curriculum Revision, Planning Education, Engineering Education.

 

1. Introduction:

The course of city planning is one of the electives taught to civil engineering students at various BE/BSc civil engineering programs in Pakistan. However; there are no commonly available research papers; books or published material available that may have explained about the appropriate course contents of city planning for civil engineering students. Every institution and curriculum of civil engineering is quite different from each other. Some curriculums of civil engineering do not give much importance to urban or city planning. Hence, it’s quite difficult to decide that city planning shall be taught to civil engineers or not? The significance of the subject of city planning for civil engineering students is also not established in any published material. Even if we establish that, civil engineers must be taught about the city planning as an elective course, there is no such commonly published data or information of any kind that may have identified the level at which the city planning shall be taught to civil engineering students. Any elective course when added to a professional curriculum it needs a relevance to the profession and there requires an essential criterion or basic familiarity with some pertinent lexis. It is also not explained in any published material that what maybe the prerequisite knowledge crucial in student of civil engineering for learning the subject of city planning? Based on the need assessment of the electives within a profession a course load calculation is conducted. It is also absent in the published literature that; how much weight shall be given to the course of city planning in the curriculum of bachelor of civil engineering? It is an unwritten reality that, the marks allocated to the subject also determines the level of interest of students towards the course, especially in case the learning of electives is not based upon the choice of students but it is the super imposed subject by the execs of university. It is also not conventional in any published source of information that, how to deal with such situation? Whereas; what may be the appropriate methodology for teaching city planning to civil engineering students is also not customary in any published literature whatsoever. Thus; the purpose of research is to respond to these aforesaid questions and its associated issues. It is a reality that, aforementioned most of the unanswered questions have no support of published materials so some pioneering methods shall be required for the paper as given below.

 

1.1 Materials and Methods

The methodology of the research comprises literature review about the term elective, elective course, curriculums of civil engineering in local and international context i.e. Curriculum developed by Higher Education Commission for both Public and Private sector engineering universities in Pakistan. Curriculums of major engineering universities of Pakistan i.e. NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sir Syed University Karachi, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, An analysis of the civil engineering curriculums as taught abroad in USA and EU countries is also carried out. The personal interviews were taken from the students and professionals of the civil engineering at NED-UET, SSUET Karachi, MUET Jamshoro, UET Lahore and faculty members of urban planning in Karachi Pakistan. The author personally taught the Town Planning course to Civil Engineering students from 2001 to 2013 and Urban Planning and Management course to Urban Engineering students from 2009 to 2014. At the end of course a questionnaire survey is conducted from students and after its analysis a focus group discussion takes place on the aforesaid issues. The students regularly gave feedback on these aspects and give good suggestions for improvement in the pedagogy of Urban Planning. Based on the feedback the method of teaching and learning urban planning always changed. This continuous process is also made the part of the findings discussed in this paper. The scope of findings includes the appropriate course contents and pedagogic procedure of teaching city planning to civil engineers in accordance with current global practices.

 

1.2 Paper structure

In order to organise and systematically explained the basic arguments the paper is structured as follows: At first the paper begins with the basic definitions and understanding of the term elective and elective courses. Secondly, the paper establishes the arguments about the civil engineering curriculums in Pakistan and abroad. The third aspect discussed in the paper is the significance of the subject of city planning for civil engineering curriculums. This is particularly done in four steps i.e. by a critique on definition of civil and urban engineering, an analysis of the core services of the civil and urban engineering, the inadequacies in pure Civil and Urban Engineering and a case study is given where a department of civil and urban engineering has adopted the city planning as significant element of their curriculum. The fourth feature conversed in the paper is about the basic knowledge and maturity required from the Civil Engineering students for learning City Planning. The fifth facet deliberated is the City Planning Course Load i.e. Theory and Practical for Civil Engineering curriculum. Finally, the sixth and last finding of the paper is the ongoing quest of appropriate methodology for teaching City Planning to Civil Engineering Students. The last three findings are based upon author’s personal experience and on feedback from students since last 13 years of teaching town planning to civil engineers and 5 years of teaching urban sociology, and urban planning and management to urban engineering students. Thus, in the end learned lessons in teaching philosophy and approach are shared as conclusion of the paper.

2. The Research Findings:

 

2.1 The Basic Definitions and Understanding about Elective and Elective Courses

If we search the term elective on google it may refer to as choice or the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them. The Microsoft word and dictionaries give us different synonyms of the term such as optional and non-compulsory. These meanings of the terms clearly indicated the attributes and underlying tendencies in this term and its psychological effects on the young minds of civil engineering as also evident in their behavior and attitude towards electives. An elective course is one chosen by a student from a number of optional subjects or courses in a curriculum, as opposed to a required course which the student must take. While required courses sometimes called "core courses" or "general education courses" are deemed essential for an academic degree, elective courses tend to be more specialized. Elective courses usually have fewer students than the required courses. Motivations for choosing such a course include a wish to experience other domains of knowledge and to learn how to work in the professional situations in other countries and contexts. Typically, North American universities require students to achieve both breadth of knowledge across disciplines and depth of knowledge in a particular chosen subject area, known as a major. Thus, students of the Arts or Humanities are required to take some science courses, and vice-versa. Normally, students are free to choose their particular electives from among a wide range of courses offered by their university, as long as the students possess the prerequisite knowledge to understand the subject matter being taught. Elective courses are also offered in the third and fourth years of university, though the choice is more restrictive and will depend upon the particular major the student has chosen. Thus, specialization is one such reason to choose an elective course. The other major reason for offering electives is based on philosophy of the school or policy goals of the particular Department or University. For civil engineering usually it’s the type of civil engineer one want to be governs the chosen electives.

 

2.2 Curriculums of Civil Engineering in Pakistan and Abroad

If an analysis is made of various curriculums of civil engineering in Pakistan and abroad it would be quite evident that every university and department has its own school of thought and professional and pedagogic goals that determines to offer the particular electives in their curriculums. For instance; “The University of Sydney is the top ranked Australian university for Civil Engineering. That's because they provide students with a well-rounded understanding of their profession combined with problem solving, design and research skills that enable them to lead innovation to shape the future. At Sydney, they want to do much more than just teach how to use technology – but they want students to be able to change technology. They encourage students to push the boundaries to find solutions to the problems of today and tomorrow - such as climate change, transportation infrastructure, population changes, renewable and sustainable design and water management. A key part of their jobs is to perform research and uncover knowledge to benefit society. They believe it is important to keep undergraduate students informed about and involved in research. Their school has strengths in research areas such as structural engineering, geotechnical engineering and environmental geo-mechanics, risk analysis, materials, concrete structures and technology, construction and project management, fluid mechanics and wind engineering, and ocean technology. They help students acquire the skills necessary to engineer creative and practical solutions and make a genuine difference in their community and beyond.”[2]

 

If we look at the curriculum of Civil Engineering in Public sector Engineering Universities it would be evident that, “There is no course titled as Architecture and Town Planning, Urban Planning or City and Regional Planning in the syllabus of BSc. Civil Engineering in UET Lahore.”[3] Whereas, “The Department of Civil Engineering at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh offers 2credit hour’s course of ‘Architecture and Town Planning’ in its fourth semester or fourth term.”[4]

In Civil Engineering Department, NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi there is an elective ‘Architecture and Town Planning” which is taught to Civil Engineering students. Similarly in Urban and Infrastructure Department the students of urban engineering learn the courses, ‘Urban Sociology’ and ‘Urban Planning and Management’. These courses are though electives but regularly offered to civil engineering students. Since beginning this course was offered at the final year level up until the year 2000. However, since the year 2001 this course is offered at third year level. Then, after 10 years in 2010 this course is shifted to second year level. This regular transfer of the course from senior classes to more junior class has serious and specific consequences. “The Department of Civil Engineering in Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology which is a private University also offers the 3 credit hours course of ‘Architecture and Town Planning’ on regular basis in their eighth semester.”[5] The curriculum of Civil Engineering as developed by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan clearly indicates, “The engineering degree will devote 65-70% of the curriculum towards engineering courses, and 35--30% to non-Engineering courses.”[6] One of the learning objective of civil engineering program is “A Civil Engineering graduate would be able to undertake planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of urban and rural infrastructure by applying his/her knowledge in all stages of Civil Engineering and interdisciplinary projects.”[7]The course of ‘Architecture and Town Planning’ is given in this curriculum developed for the public and private sector civil engineering programs. According to European Council for Civil Engineers, “A civil engineer is a professional, academically educated and practice-oriented, who uses his scientific, technical and other pertinent knowledge to perform civil engineering acts, aiming to contribute to a sustainable world, with a better quality of life. For professional recognition of a Civil Engineer one of the engineer act is Urban Planning and Design.”[8] This shows that in Europe also the subject of urban planning is given significance. Similarly, American Society of Civil Engineers defines, “Civil engineers are changing the world. They dream up creative, practical solutions that benefit the everyday lives of people and the communities in which we live. They work with smart and inspiring people to invent, design and build things that matter. Civil Engineering is a diverse field and one of its specialties is urban planning. ”[9] Thus, it is quite evident that, Urban Planning is a recognized discipline in the curriculums of Civil Engineering and for global recognition its knowledge and understanding is vital.

 

2.3 Appropriate Course Contents of City Planning for Civil Engineering

Kurt W. Bauer is a specialist in the planning, design, and construction of municipal public works, Kurt Bauer has 50 years of experience in city and regional planning and has taught city planning to civil engineers for almost as long. His 2009 publication “City Planning for Civil Engineers, Environmental Engineers, and Surveyors” by CRC Press London and New York can be said as first monograph on the given subject. Being a teacher and professional his experience is unmatched and thus signifies this book. In the following the course content of the book are given for comparative analysis with existing courses of city planning for civil engineers in our local context.

 

S. No.
Main Theme
Detailed Contents
1
Introduction to Definition of Terminology:
Definition of the Term "City", Some Practical Definitions, Planning, City Planning, City Planning as a Team Effort, Criteria for Good City Planning, Need for City Planning, Value of City Planning
2
The Historic Context of Urban Planning:
European New Towns, City of London, Spanish Colonial New Towns, French Colonial New Towns, English Colonial New Towns, Contributions of Colonial Planning, Planning of National Capital, Decline of Public Planning, Renaissance of Public Planning
3
Compilation of Essential Data:
A Brief Overview of Map Requirements for City Planning:
Basic Definitions and Concepts, National Geodetic Survey Control System, U.S. Public Land Survey System, Map Requirements for City Planning, Survey Control for City Planning and Engineering, State Plane Coordinate Computations, Use In Creation of Land Information Systems, Aerial Photography
4
Population Data and Forecast:
Estimating Current Population Levels, Projecting and Forecasting Future Population Levels, Other Population Characteristics, Components of Population Change, Spatial Distribution, Labor Force Participation
5
Economics Data and Forecasts:
Economic Base, Structure of the Urban Economy, Projection and Forecast Techniques, Example Application, Personal Income, Property Tax Base, Concluding Comments on Employment Projections and Forecasts
6
Land Use and Supporting Infrastructure Data:
Maps for Land Use Studies, Land Use Survey, Utilities, Community Facilities
7
Natural Resource Base Inventories:
Climate, Air Quality, Physiography, Geology, Mineral Resources, Soils, Surface Water Resources, Groundwater Resources, Woodlands, Wetlands, Areas Having Scenic, Historic, Scientific and Recreational Value, Environmental Corridors
8
Institutional Structure for City Planning and the Comprehensive Plan:
The Plan Commission, Comprehensive Plan, Staff Organization
9
Objectives, Principles, and Standards:
Basic Concepts and Definitions, Overriding Considerations, Application in Alternative Plan Evaluation
10
Land Use Planning:
Determinants of the Land Use Pattern, The Public Interest As a Land Use Determinant, Steps in Land Use Plan Preparation, Example of Land Use Plan
11
Neighborhood Unit Concept:
Essential Features, Size and Density Considerations, Comments on the Concept, Example of an Actual Neighborhood Unit Development Plan
12
Principles of Good Land Subdivision Design:
The Context of Land Subdivision Design, Principles of Good Design, Subdivision Design Patterns, Site Analysis, Utility Service, Historic Patterns of Development and Lot Yield Efficiencies, Common Issues of Concern, Other Design Considerations
13
Street Patterns and Transportation Planning:
Purposes of the Street System, Types of Street Patterns, Functional Classification of Streets, Street Cross Sections, Arterial Capacity and Level of Service, Arterial System Planning, Jurisdiction Classification of Streets, Mass Transit Planning
14
Other Plan Elements:
Common Base, Characteristics of Individual Elements, Need for Study Design
 
15
Plan Implementation – Land Subdivision Control:
Historical Background, Reasons for Public Regulation, Purpose of Public Regulation, Statutory Authority for Land Subdivision Control, Required Plat Approvals, Final Plat Data, Recording of Plats, Local Land Subdivision Regulation, Example Local Subdivision Control Ordinance, Improvements, Standardization of Utility Locations, Improvement Guarantees
16
Plan Implementation – Zoning:
Definition, Brief History, Benefits of Good Zoning, Zoning Techniques, Zoning District Map, Zoning District Boundary Delineation Related to Resource Protection, Zoning Ordinance Regulations, Common Zoning Problems
17
The Official Map:
Brief History, Definitions, Relationship to the Comprehensive Plan, Effectiveness, Legal and Administrative Considerations, Engineering Considerations, Base Mapping Considerations, Facility Design Considerations, Map Format
18
Capital Improvement Programming:
Definition and Context, Benefits of Capital Improvement Programming, Elements of a Capital Improvement Program, Procedure
Table 1. Contents of City Planning for Civil Engineers as Proposed by Kurt W. Bauer in his book “City Planning for Civil Engineers, Environmental Engineers, and Surveyors”

 

If we compare these contents with local contents of Town Planning in HEC Curriculum or University’s Curriculums it would be evident that these are the more detailed and comprehensive and may be applicable across the globe.

 

2.4 Significance of City Planning for Civil Engineering Curriculums

In order to establish the significance of city planning for civil engineering curriculums it is quite pertinent to carry out a critique on definition of civil and urban engineering as it may launch the basis on which the case may be pleaded. Whereas, an analysis of the core services of the civil and urban engineering may also be furnished so as the logics may be established around the basic argument of this theme. Furthermore, the inadequacies in pure Civil and Urban Engineering may also be identified so as a justification can be developed for instituting the significance of city planning for civil engineering students. Finally a case study may also be given where a department of civil and urban engineering has adopted the city planning as significant element of their curriculum. In this way the significance of city planning for civil engineers may be proved.

 

2.4.1 A Critique on Definition of Civil and Urban Engineering

Civil Engineering is a discipline that works to create a built environment on the planet. The traditional definition of the British Institution of Civil Engineers did not define civil engineering per se. Rather it defined the civil engineer as someone who “harnesses the great forces of nature to the benefit of mankind” (Charter of the Institution of Civil Engineers, United Kingdom, 1828). This is done through the design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure. This definition was developed in an era where the primarily relationship between people and the planet was exploitative (using this term in a geological context). There is now recognition that the earth’s resources are not unlimited, and exploitation on a major scale is damaging the planet. This in turn requires a modification to the historical definition. The British definition of the civil engineer has therefore been expanded to include ‘care and consideration for the environment’. This definition retains is dominant technical focus. Whilst this may be adequate (though still questionable) when linked to the needs of developed countries, it has serious shortcomings in an African context, where there is a high level of poverty and where Urbanisation is moving into a high growth phase, both occurring at a time when global resource constraints are becoming more evident. Urban Engineering seeks to expand civil engineering beyond this purely technical definition to take greater account of the interaction between the built environment that is created by the infrastructure and the communities that are served by the infrastructure. Urban Engineering is thus the application of civil engineering works (infrastructure) carried out in a way that integrates this infrastructure with the social context, and situates the delivery and operation of that infrastructure in a framework of sustainability.

 

2.4.2 Analysis of Core Services and Activities of Civil & Urban Engineering

There are four core service areas of civil and urban engineering:

S. No.
Required Understanding
Core Activities
1
Water Engineering
This covers all aspects of the water cycle as it functions within an urban catchment management framework, and incorporates: urban hydrology; urban drainage; water storage, treatment and supply; post-use water discharge.
2
Energy and waste management.
This covers solid waste and sanitation, both of which have a major potential for resource recovery and re-use, and other urban energy forms such as methane gas recovery, solar and wind power.
3
Transportation and movement networks
This covers the transportation planning, multi-modal use of movement networks, and the geometric and structural design of pavements.
4
Engineering mechanics
This incorporates structural and geotechnical works, both linked to the above (e.g. bridges, reservoirs) and as building works.
Table 2. Four Core Service Areas of Civil and Urban Engineering

 

2.4.3 The Inadequacy in Pure Civil and Urban Engineering

In order to work effectively with the core services outlined above, the civil and urban engineer will be involved in, and require an understanding of, the following activities:

S. No.
Required Understanding
Core Activities
1
Infrastructure Planning
Carry out reviews of existing problems and situations. Identify innovative and economical solutions. Work effectively and in a collaborative way in a multidisciplinary environment. Develop proposals that are matched to the social, economic and environmental.
2
Analysis and Design
Have a working knowledge of current design standards, guidelines and hand books. Carry out topographic survey. Carry out preliminary and final designs. Prepare Bills of Quantities and Specifications. Prepare cost estimates. Manage a tendering process. Evaluate tenders.
3
Contract Administration
Review and approve contractor’s program, method and schedule. Supervise projects to ensure that drawings, specifications, materials and workmanship are as specified in the contract. Check and approve measurement of work executed. Administer claims and disputes. Issue engineering instruction and variation order, check and approve variation order. Manage construction activities and available resources including planning, scheduling, controlling and reporting.
4
Construction Management:
 
Decide method of construction. Manage labour-based construction projects. Conduct studies on cost of construction, materials, labour, equipment and productivity. Manage construction activities and available resources including planning, scheduling, cost estimating, controlling and reporting.
5
Technical Management of Infrastructure
Develop and manage the mapping system for infrastructure in a town or city. Work with the infrastructure system in a GIS environment. Develop plans for new infrastructure projects. Develop and manage contracts for consultants. Plan and organize the maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure. Work in a management team with other disciplines. Plan and organise laboratory tests on soils, rocks and construction materials.
6
Financial Management of Infrastructure
Develop an asset management plan for the infrastructure. Develop life-cycle costing plans for assets. Prepare budgets for capital investment. Prepare operation and maintenance budgets. Plan, execute and monitor spending programs.
7
Associated skills
Prepare a brief for an environmental impact assessment. Calculate the carbon value of resources used in infrastructure management, covering the products (e.g. human waste) or the activity (e.g. aggregate extraction from a quarry). Incorporate environmental costs into life cycle costing. Prepare a brief for a social survey linked to infrastructure need and/or use. Evaluate the impact of an infrastructure project proposal on social equity and affordability.
Table 3. Civil and Urban Engineers required Knowledge and Understanding of Seven Crucial Skills

 

2.4.4 A Case Study of Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Following is the statement of the Department as given on their website which clearly says that; “….the department has evaluated its current program. It has identified important, and currently unmet, needs for civil engineers to work in local government specifically, and urban infrastructure generally, to address the backlog in infrastructure and the future needs of a rapidly growing urban population. Working in urban areas, where the civil engineering infrastructure directly services the urban population, there is a need for specialist skills and knowledge that are not necessarily required in other civil engineering works. These relate specifically to the social and financial surround and the specific nature of the physical environment. To ensure that civil engineers have the appropriate skills and knowledge, the University of Haramaya is working with the Universities of Arba Minch, Hawassa and MadaWalabuin the on-going development and implementation of a new degree program in Civil and Urban Engineering. This program incorporates the core subjects of engineering science and is founded upon the same theoretical base of basic sciences and mathematics as other civil engineering degrees in the country. It therefore meets all the requirements of a civil engineering degree. Where it differs is in the focus of the applications subjects, which are all related specifically to the urban context, and in its management focus, which again links to the management of urban infrastructure. The Objective of this B.Sc. program is to produce outstanding civil and urban engineering graduates who have been prepared to become technological, managerial and public service leaders capable of understanding the social and environmental challenges that face the country, and who will be in a position to make a meaningful contribution to both national social and economic growth and development as well as being able to respond to, and benefit from, the impact of global change. This program is aimed primarily at training engineers required for building and developing the cities and towns of the future, though the skills imparted will also enable the graduates to work in all other fields of civil engineering. It will produce well qualified engineers knowledgeable in the core engineering science areas of structural, geotechnical and hydraulic engineering. At the same time those graduates will also have knowledge of civil engineering infrastructure as a resource and as a service, ensuring that they can be actively engaged in the planning, development and management of civil engineering infrastructure projects. Specifically, the trainees will be equipped with the knowledge that enables them to execute the following tasks: [Undertake project identification, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies in a challenging social and economic context, and design civil engineering works that are both sustainable and appropriate to that context.] [Prepare contract documents for civil engineering projects that can be undertaken by either machine- or labour-based construction methods.] [Manage and maintain the civil engineering works in a cost-effective and efficient manner.] [Manage the resource flows (water, waste, transport) associated with the existing civil engineering works on a sustainable basis.]”[10] It is quite evident from this case example that, the city planning as significant element of their curriculum.

 

2.5 The Basic Knowledge and Maturity of Civil Engineering Students for Learning City Planning

It is a grave reality that, the subject of city planning requires a requisite understanding of the profession of civil engineering and its specialized streams and knowledge disciplines which make planning study easy,

At junior level the students do not attain a maturity which leads them to understand the dynamics of urban planning course contents. For urban planning the basic concept about the built environment is necessary. A student of civil engineering must understand the definition and construction method of a building, or artefact, a street, a road, a pavement, a footpath, design of utility lines i.e. water, electricity, gas, telephone, sewerage system, sanitation etc. The student must have clear vision about land, air and water and noise pollution, climatology, rain water drains, population density, mass transport, public transport, para transit, and all transportation modes and role of civil engineer in it. Furthermore a basic knowledge about history of civil engineering is one of the major understandings which is necessary for a civil engineering student to learn urban planning.

 

2.6 The City Planning Course Load i.e. Theory and Practical for Civil Engineering Curriculum

As far as course load is concerned it shall be 60% practical and 40% theoretical underpinning. The reason behind this fact is that, the learning by doing is the best way for every subject. A student retain very less in his mind if he just listen to lectures. However as per HEC curriculum, “The contact hours for study of courses are kept  flexible  for  university  to  university,  considering  the  variation  in  local requirements. The following limits have been proposed. For Semester System: 1 credit hour of theory class = 1 contact hour, 1 credit hour of lab / design class / practical = 3 contact hours. For Annual System: 1 lecture hour of theory class per week = 1 contact hour 2 lecture hours of lab per week = 1 contact hour, Total contact hours per year for theory course = 60, Total contact hours per year for lab / design / practical course = 30. These above given contact hours cover theory lectures, design classes and practical periods.” Thus, for city planning course load HEC formulae may be adopted.

 

2.7 The Appropriate Methodology for Teaching City Planning to Civil Engineering Students

As HEC curriculum explains, “Class room lectures, duly supported by audio-visual aids demonstrations and relevant handouts. Assignments and tutorial requiring use of reference material and internet facility, Term projects and class presentations. Laboratory experiments, field work and design exercises. Instructional visits to appropriate establishments, installations, construction sites, field stations, industries etc. Extension lectures and class room discussions by renowned professionals, Enhanced use of modern computing facilities in the teaching-learning environment. The note books/field books/graphs and drawing sheets pertaining to the field work and practical should be completed within the allocated time and submitted to the teacher. In case of field visit the students shall be required to write a visit report which shall be graded.”[11] Thus, it is quite necessary that practical hands on may be given more significance.

 

3. Conclusions:

After detailed description of research findings it is concluded that, civil engineering is the mother of all engineering and it has a very broad application. As a repercussion city planning becomes one of the most significant elective courses for civil engineers which shall be taught at final year when a civil engineer become mature and understands the professional spectrum of practice in the urban rural contexts and society at large. A society progress with their knowledge and world view, and generation of new knowledge is based upon progressive academia and futuristic curriculums. Thus, appropriate course contents and pedagogy would be a continuous quest because it is related to given time and space and the level of intellectual progress in a society.

 

It is the aspiration of young civil engineers that, a major branch of knowledge which is directly related to their professional practice must be taught to them. They also want to learn the art of architecture to appreciate its aesthetic qualities and increase their sense of beauty and at the same time they wanted to be socially responsive to their built environment. They also want the technical knowledge about building structures at all scales from a street to neighbourhoods, from neighbourhoods to towns, from towns to city, from cities to regions, and from region to national and international scale of infrastructure. After all, it was done by Romans in ancient times to Chinese and Pakistanis in current times where they have planned to make the connectivity via, roads to railways, and energy to economics for future and sustainability.

 

References



[3] Fernando Branco “Professional Recognition for Civil Engineers” El Ingeniero: Presente E Futuro, European Council of Civil Engineers, Ordem Dos Engenheiros, Madrid (2007) Available from: http://www.ciccp.es/ImgWeb/Sede%20Nacional/Declaraciones%20Bolonia_Ber/Fernando%20Branco.ppt  Accessed: 2014-03-15

[4] Professor Kim Rasmussen, Official Website of the University of Sydney, Australia. Available from: http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/civil/current-students/index.shtml Accessed: 2014-03-25

[5] Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Haramaya University, Institute of Technology, Dire Dawa-Ethiopia Available from: http://www.haramaya.edu.et/academics/institutes/institute-of-technology/dept/department-of-civil-and-urban-engineering/ Accessed: 2014-03-05

[6] Kurt W. Bauer “City Planning for Civil Engineers, Environmental Engineers, and Surveyors” by CRC Press, ISBN 9781439808924, London / New York (2009)


[1] RAVINDAR KUMAR is an architect and urban designer; belongs to Taluka Shahdadkot; District Qambar-Shahdadkot, Larkana Division; Sindh; Pakistan. He graduated in “Architecture” by the year 1994 from Department of Architecture and Planning, Dawood College of Engineering and Technology then affiliated with NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi. He did his “Masters of Urban Design” in 1999 from the same institution i.e. DAP-DCET-NEDUET Karachi. Initially he worked as an “Architect and Urban Designer” with private architectural, interior and urban planning firms i.e. M/s SURTI & Partners and M/s AHED+AZAM Partnership in Karachi. Since January 2001 he became faculty member in Department of Architecture and Planning, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi and written many research papers in the subjects of Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Housing, Urban Transport, Urban Conservation, Urban Landscape, Urban Economics, Urban Design and Curriculum Development. In January 2008 he went for PhD studies in “Construction and Project Management” from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Currently he is working as an Assistant Professor and teaching to undergraduate and graduate students in Bachelors of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Urban and Infrastructure Engineering, Masters of Urban and Regional Planning and MSc. Environmental Design.
[2] Professor Kim Rasmussen, Official Website of the University of Sydney, Australia Available from: http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/civil/current-students/index.shtml Accessed: 2014-03-25
[5] Available from: http://www.ssuet.edu.pk/~CVED/courses.php Accessed: 2014-03-01
[7] Ibid
[8] Fernando Branco “Professional Recognition for Civil Engineers” El Ingeniero: Presente E Futuro, European Council of Civil Engineers, Ordem Dos Engenheiros, Madrid (2007) Available from: http://www.ciccp.es/ImgWeb/Sede%20Nacional/Declaraciones%20Bolonia_Ber/Fernando%20Branco.ppt Access-ed: 2014-03-15
[10] Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Haramaya University, Institute of Technology, Dire Dawa-Ethiopia Available from: http://www.haramaya.edu.et/academics/institutes/institute-of-technology/dept/department-of-civil-and-urban-engineering/ Accessed: 2014-03-05
[11] Ibid No. 6
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