Programme Director, Professor Samer Bagaeen, who was recently re-elected to the RTPI’s General Assembly, shares the latest updates regarding his MA Urban Planning and Resilience course below.
“Kent School of Architecture and Planning (KSAP) are in formal talks with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in regards to accreditation for the MA Urban Planning and Resilience course. Over the summer, the RTPI appointed a Dialogue Member from the profession to walk the School through the submission process. This process will come into a life of its own when our first cohort graduates this term; this first cohort will always be special because it is this group that took the risk along with the School, and the University of Kent, along with their respective employers, to join a programme seeking accreditation as it was set up.
We have also been busy looking at our strategic partnerships and staffing as a school, with COVID mitigations in place. We start this academic year committed to a 50/50 blend of online interactive lectures and face to face seminar teaching. We are also looking at contingency planning for our field trip and are in talks with other planning schools about virtual walks with staff and students in the cities we could potentially visit. We are also fortunate in that we have partner organisations in finance, investment, property and planning who are making resources available for our students to use.
In regards to teaching, from 1 August 2020, Steve Quartermain CBE, joined the School as its Honorary Professor of Practice in Planning. The newly retired Chief Planner of the British Government accepted the professorship from KSAP, which will last until 2025. At the University of Kent, he will have a strategic role and become part of the project team developing our MA Urban Planning and Resilience programme. This appointment strengthens KSAP’s expertise and offering for current and prospective students in planning policy and practice. We are proud to have Steve on the team that sees his return to Kent, having spent time as a Planning Officer in Dartford early on in his career.
Kent School of Architecture and Planning have been asked to manage the Cultural Co-Location project which is one of a series of projects forming the Creative Estuary. From Southend to Margate, the Thames Estuary is a region of untold creative potential. Creative Estuary, supported by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is proud to be driving forward the creative and economic evolution of the Thames Estuary, unlocking its potential both as an international production hub and a collaborative, inspirational working space for a new generation of creative talent.
The Cultural Co-Location Project is part of the Thames Estuary Production Corridor; our aim is to use culture as the catalyst for growth as we grow the commitment to making the region an attractive location for creative individuals and businesses to work, collaborate and grow. Cultural co-location involves finding holistic ways to integrate cultural infrastructure into community buildings and outdoor spaces, facilitating more places for creative activity, from flexible artist studios to larger scale performance and exhibition spaces. Two areas in the Thames Estuary region which are piloting cultural co-location, Ebbsfleet Garden City, and a major regeneration scheme, Purfleet-on-Thames, in Essex.”
To find out more about our MA Urban Planning and Resilience course, sign up to attend the upcoming University of Kent Postgraduate Virtual Open Event on Wednesday 18 November from 12.00 – 15.00.