Town planning course leads to influence

Where do you actually have the most impact as an architect? In an architectural practice or a municipal office? According to MA in Architecture and PhD Martin Odgaard you should not dismiss the importance of urban planning work in the public sector.

”‘If your ambition is to make a difference as an architect, you will hardly find a better place than in the municipal administration. This is also the case if your interests are sustainability and climate change mitigation. They are working on some really big projects. And you can be given responsibility for exciting tasks’.

A new perspective on architecture

Janne Fjeldtvedt is an architect and an employee of the design studio Lendager Group. Her employer paid for the course. She is particularly pleased with the insight she has gained into the way the visions of architects, the municipal administration and the state interact when it comes to constructing new buildings.

‘Gaining a new perspective on the discipline of architecture and a deeper understanding of how you work with spatial planning in the public sector was exciting. My internship with the Danish Business Authority has helped me gain an interesting insight into the political processes and administrative frameworks associated with the architectural profession’, Janne says.

A course with a strong impact

The course also has a strong and positive effect on unemployed architects. In the long term, it appears that, after the course, two-thirds of the participants become affiliated with some kind of urban planning practice. It is, in particular, the four-week internship period – which is part of the course – that provides excellent opportunities for making contacts with or drawing attention to yourself from municipal offices, private consultancy firms, etc.

‘It is specifically our impression that course participants who are willing to move a little geographically, benefit greatly from the course, career-wise’, says Martin Odgaard.

The course starts on 1 March. The registration deadline is 1 February 2020.

Read more about the course or sign up.

Facts

• The duration of the course is ten weeks
• You learn about the planning act, about what working as a town planner is like, about local development plans, etc.
• Along the way you meet the School’s teachers as well as external speakers from consulting firms and municipalities

PLEASE NOTE: The course is taught in Danish