You probably have responsibility for the quality of works carried out by your employer and you may think that all the design decisions have been taken before you get involved. However, the quality of the work you oversee and your understanding of what can work well when and where, are invaluable to the creation and maintenance of good places.

So you may like to learn more about urban design so you can see how important your work is, and understand the thinking behind designs you implement. We suggest that the main design skills that you may find useful are:

• relating theories and concepts of good urban design to scheme implementation
• making decisions about specific design issues during the construction of any scheme.
• managing contractors and construction staff to ensure good quality workmanship and finishes
• assessing the quality of the finished product

We suggest you start by looking at the following sections:

Foundation of urban design:

• Structure of places
• Places that work
  
• Shaping places
• Policy and law
  
• Streets

Then add any other sections you think might be useful.

While you are looking at these courses we suggest you try to think about how the content relates to your job.

If you have queries or ideas you would like to share please post them on the forums.