I have a MUP (Masters in Urban Planning) and 5+ years as a transportation planner working plans for on bike lanes, BRT/LRT, ped planning, complete streets, livability, etc...
I'd like to shift from plans to do more design based work, more visioning, more master planning, corridor studies, streetscapes...hence I'm looking into a one year post professional MUD degree. Do you think, from experience, that this will allow me to compete for Urban Design jobs? Seems like job postings for urban designers require either an MUD or LA or sometimes just an MUP.( I'm testing the waters now to see if I can compete w/ my current credentials).
I would think a MLA would better complement your MUP. Do you draw? I have a small LA practice. We are pushing to do more streetscape, visioning, and urban design work. We have a few small projects under our belt, but nothing really glamorous yet.
If you want to do visioning work it helps to be able to communicate well graphically.
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts as to why an MLA who be a better complement? I do not draw, I am pretty advanced in modeling however. Drawing is next in line.
I think what you need is some experience in UD work, as the MUD degree is going to be very theoretical. Speaking of experience, where are you located, and are you looking for work?
From my experience as a landscape architect, we already do or strive to do the work you mention--visioning, streetscape, corridor plans, etc. I have a bsla and wish I could afford to disappear for a couple years to get a MUP or MUD.
I am one of those people that draws a lot. I get ideas from reading magazines and geeky planning books in my spare time, but I really dont have any formal education in planning or urban design. I sometimes wish I had the Degree you have, even though I really dont fully understand what it entails and from what I can tell from certain programs reading lists, Ive already read most of the books and familiarized myself with a lot of the terms. What I feel I may be missing is some of the code related, code writing, and administrative type knowledge I suspect I would get more of with a MUP. An LA degree, by contrast, is a design degree. You learn about design process, how to communicate graphically, how to work through design problems. As a designer/business owner I am honing my 'problem finding' skills in order to both make more work and help quantify the value we are adding to any given project. Thats some of what you learn with an la degree. I suspect the MUP with give someone like me better footing for the design work I do, whereas the mla would give some like you the technical skill to execute your ideas and employ your knowledge.
Does my assumption of your educational background sound somewhat accurate?
Mar 12, 15 2:48 am ·
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Urban Designers
I have a MUP (Masters in Urban Planning) and 5+ years as a transportation planner working plans for on bike lanes, BRT/LRT, ped planning, complete streets, livability, etc...
I'd like to shift from plans to do more design based work, more visioning, more master planning, corridor studies, streetscapes...hence I'm looking into a one year post professional MUD degree. Do you think, from experience, that this will allow me to compete for Urban Design jobs? Seems like job postings for urban designers require either an MUD or LA or sometimes just an MUP.( I'm testing the waters now to see if I can compete w/ my current credentials).
Thoughts? Thanks.
Greg
I would think a MLA would better complement your MUP. Do you draw? I have a small LA practice. We are pushing to do more streetscape, visioning, and urban design work. We have a few small projects under our belt, but nothing really glamorous yet.
If you want to do visioning work it helps to be able to communicate well graphically.
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts as to why an MLA who be a better complement? I do not draw, I am pretty advanced in modeling however. Drawing is next in line.
I think what you need is some experience in UD work, as the MUD degree is going to be very theoretical. Speaking of experience, where are you located, and are you looking for work?
From my experience as a landscape architect, we already do or strive to do the work you mention--visioning, streetscape, corridor plans, etc. I have a bsla and wish I could afford to disappear for a couple years to get a MUP or MUD.
I am one of those people that draws a lot. I get ideas from reading magazines and geeky planning books in my spare time, but I really dont have any formal education in planning or urban design. I sometimes wish I had the Degree you have, even though I really dont fully understand what it entails and from what I can tell from certain programs reading lists, Ive already read most of the books and familiarized myself with a lot of the terms. What I feel I may be missing is some of the code related, code writing, and administrative type knowledge I suspect I would get more of with a MUP. An LA degree, by contrast, is a design degree. You learn about design process, how to communicate graphically, how to work through design problems. As a designer/business owner I am honing my 'problem finding' skills in order to both make more work and help quantify the value we are adding to any given project. Thats some of what you learn with an la degree. I suspect the MUP with give someone like me better footing for the design work I do, whereas the mla would give some like you the technical skill to execute your ideas and employ your knowledge.
Does my assumption of your educational background sound somewhat accurate?
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