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Mirko Guaralda

Abstract

Since 2015 Logan City Council (LCC), a major urban area south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, has hosted students from the Bachelor of Design (Architectural Studies) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for an intensive two-day urban design charrette. The charrette is delivered as coursework and assessment for an architecture unit on urban morphology and urban dynamics; the format of this learning experience allows students to directly interact with Council personnel and to gain an in-depth understanding of the urban issues they are asked to solve. Over the years, LCC has offered engaging and challenging briefs to the students.
In 2015 the theme was the densification of Wembley Road, the main commercial spine of Logan Central currently characterized by the fragmented forms of big boxes and large carparks. In 2016 students were challenged with the design of a new masterplan for Logan Central Civic and Community Precinct s with the aim of creating a new civic and urban centre. In 2017 the focus was Springwood and the brief sought the creation of a new CBD alongside the M1, the main motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and southern states. In each instance, LCC has provided both the facilities where the workshop was hosted, and engaged several stakeholders to speak to the students. This mix of perspectives presented diverse issues and questions from the local area.

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How to Cite
Guaralda, M. (2017) “Urban Coding in Logan. Teaching urban design with the support of local government”, The Journal of Public Space, 2(2), pp. 181–188. doi: 10.5204/jps.v2i2.101.
Section
Portfolio
Author Biography

Mirko Guaralda, Queensland University of Technology

Mirko Guaralda is Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the Queensland University of Technology; his background includes experience in architectural design, landscape architecture and urban design. Before joining academia full time, Mirko has been working in industry and local government; he has been involved in a wide range of projects at different scales, from small dwellings and gardens, to new estates and urban strategic planning. Since 2001 Mirko has been involved in research projects in Australia as well as in Italy, his home country, and so far has received over $100,000.00 in funding for his work on cities and communities. He is currently research associate with the Centre for Subtropical Design, the Urban Informatics Research Lab and the Children and Youth Research Centre at QUT.
He is Founding Editor of ‘The Journal of Public Space’, jointly established by City Space Architecture and the Queensland University of Technology in partnership with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Program on Cities and Human Settlements.

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