Singapore and Vancouver | The ‘Livable City’: A Comparative Exposition
PLAN 448* | 3 Credits
This unique program is co-hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The course is part of a pilot program in collaboration with NUS CITIES and the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Academic leads:
- Dr. Su-Jan Yeo, School of Community and Regional Planning, UBC
- Assoc Prof Cheah Kok Ming, Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, NUS
- Dr. Rosita Samsudin, NUS CITIES, College of Design and Engineering, NUS
- UBC course: PLAN 448* | Summer Term 2
- Course Dates: July 2 - July 20, 2024
- Vancouver dates: July 2 - 9
- Singapore dates: July 13 - 20
- Location: Vancouver and Singapore**
- Program fee: $500 Participation Fee (this includes the Go Global fee, accommodations in Singapore, some meals, program activities in Vancouver and Singapore. This does not include course tuition or flights).
- Participating students will receive a $1000 Go Global Award
*Course-credit for this program is subject to course approval by the UBC Senate.
**NUS students will travel to Vancouver for one week, then UBC students will travel to Singapore for one week.
|
Information Session Tuesday March 5 - Recording Available Passcode: 6f#fM8Tm |
Apply by Wednesday March 27
Application instructions here.
Students for this program are asked to provide two documents, in addition to answering the written questions:
-CV/Resume
- Writing Sample (if available please include sample work that demonstrates the applicant's experience with urban fieldwork, for example: observations and documentation; questionnaires, surveys, or interviews; mapping; spatial analysis; site evaluation; representation of data; interpretation of findings; communication of results)
An immersive learning exchange for senior undergraduate students at UBC and NUS. Collaborating in mixed UBC-NUS teams, students will embark on a comparative study of the 'livable city’ concept by examining blue-green urbanism policies and practices in Vancouver and Singapore. Students will gain international perspective and understanding of how planning theory and practice manifest similarly and differently in two cities of the Asia-Pacific region. During the program, students will have the opportunity to interact with a network of local advisors comprising academics, practitioners, and community leaders. In this way, the program aims to create collective mentorship and foster cross-cultural connections within the built environment discipline.
NUS students will travel to Vancouver for one week, then UBC students will travel to Singapore for one week.
The program consists of online sessions in June, field trips, studio sessions, and presentation reviews through an intensive yet structured schedule, as shown in the example below. May be subject to changes:
|
UBC-NUS Cohort Briefing Session (synchronous online) |
||
|
Day 0 |
Initial Meet-and-Greet & Seminar |
mid-June |
|
Vancouver |
||
|
Day 1 |
Welcome Reception & Program Orientation (Part 1) NUS students arrive June 30 or July 1 |
Tue July 2 |
|
Day 2 |
Field Trip |
Wed July 3 |
|
Day 3 |
Studio Session |
Thu July 4 |
|
Day 4 |
Field Trip |
Fri July 5 |
|
Day 5 |
Studio Session |
Sat July 6 |
|
Day 6 |
Field Trip |
Sun July 7 |
|
Day 7 |
Studio Session |
Mon July 8 |
|
Day 8 (1/2 day) |
Midterm Presentations |
Tue July 9 |
|
Buffer |
||
|
Days 9 to 11 |
Students travel independently to Singapore |
Wed July 10 to Fri July 12 |
|
Singapore |
||
|
Day 12 |
Program Orientation (Part 2) |
Sat July 13 |
|
Day 13 |
Field Trip |
Sun July 14 |
|
Day 14 |
Studio Session |
Mon July 15 |
|
Day 15 |
Field Trip |
Tue July 16 |
|
Day 16 |
Studio Session |
Wed July 17 |
|
Day 17 |
Field Trip |
Thu July 18 |
|
Day 18 |
Studio Session |
Fri July 19 |
|
Day 19 (1/2 day) |
Final Presentations & Farewell Reception |
Sat July 20 |
In general, field trips will consist of visits to several sites where students can observe local examples of blue-green urbanism and meet with community leaders, government officials, planning/design consultants, and stakeholders. Studio sessions will include instructional time for long-form lectures and guest speaker presentations, as well as dedicated time for teams to collaborate on research, fieldwork, and project production. Presentation reviews provide the formal space for teams to professionally communicate their projects to an external audience for feedback and guidance.
It is anticipated that the final deliverable for this program will be a digital compendium of comparative studies, co-contributed by the UBC-NUS student teams. Each comparative study will present an experimental approach toward problematizing and investigating the ‘livable city’ concept within the scope of blue-green urbanism. Collectively, these comparative studies seek to stimulate a “renewed comparative imagination” (Le Galès and Robinson, 2023, p. 5) by testing the limits of urban inquiry and analysis for two seemingly “imperfect” city comparisons: Vancouver and Singapore.
Reference:
Le Galès, P., & Robinson, J. (Eds.). (2023). The Routledge Handbook of Comparative Global Urban Studies (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429287961
Shared hostel or dorm-style housing
Most costs are covered by UBC's Office of Global Enagement. UBC students will be charged a heavily subsidized program fee.
Approximate program fee: $500
*The final fee depends on the number of students in the program. All Global Seminars only run if there is a minimum number of students enrolled.
Included in the program fee:
- Accommodations
- Excursions and entrance fees
- Some group meals
- On-site guest lectures
Not Included in the program fee:
- Flights (est. $1500 - $2200)
- UBC tuition for credits (3 credits at your normal tuition rate)
- Visa/country entrance fees , if required
- Health or travel insurance
- Personal spending money*
*Some examples of personal costs include: mobile communication, personal transportation that is not related to the learning outcomes of the program, additional meals that are not already identified as part of the Program Fee, immunizations, Visas, etc.
General Global Seminar requirements
To participate in a Global Seminar, students must:
- Be in good-standing in their faculty (as defined by home faculty)
- In the year leading up to the Global Seminar, have full-time student status (as defined by home faculty, minimum of 9 credits per term in Arts, for example)
- Senior undergraduate students (i.e. eligible for 3rd or 4th year standing by Summer 2024)
- Have at least a 70% academic average in your last full-time academic session before applying
- Maintain a 70% academic average leading up to the program
Program Specific requirements
This course is ideal for students with interest in urban planning; sustainability and infrastructure; public policy and governance; international relations and global affairs. However, priority is given to students majoring or minoring in Urban Studies at UBC.
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to participate in an interview for selection.
Students must be available full time and in-person for the duration of the program dates in Vancouver and Singapore.
Final selection will be done by the lead faculty program directors. Spots in the program are limited.
Application requirements
- Please be prepared to answer questions related to your academic interest and suitability for the program.
- Please answer the question "What does a livable city mean to you?" (350 words max)
- Students are required to upload a resume/CV and an academic writing sample (if available: sample work that demonstrates the applicant's experience with urban fieldwork, for example: observations and documentation; questionnaires, surveys, or interviews; mapping; spatial analysis; site evaluation; representation of data; interpretation of findings; communication of results)