Have you ever wondered why that empty plot has not been converted into a neighbourhood park? Why are there no public spaces where you and your family can go for a picnic? Or why there are no 30 floor buildings in the city, despite the demand for housing and real estate? Why are there no cycling tracks in our cities? Why is crossing a road a game of life and death? To solve these issues, we need to understand how cities are planned and managed. In most cases, it is your city government that plans this infrastructure. To truly understand this, we need to understand how development plans and development regulations are made.

Xerxes Rao is heading urban planning at the Urban Management Centre. For the last 15 years, he has been involved in the preparation of Master Plans for over 50 cities, supported the development of smart cities and town planning schemes. At Urban Management Centre, he works closely with city governments to conceptualise and implement plans that ensure a better quality of life for everyone. This course is an introduction to the practice of urban planning and how to build more sustainable and inclusive cities. We will explore the interrelationships between the physical, environmental, economic, and social factors in planning at the site, ward and city level. The course will introduce the fundamental processes of planning, and help you understand how ideas get translated to action through city governments. Together, we will also think about how you can participate and contribute to your city's development planning process.

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