Master of International Planning and Spatial Design Welcome to MORE 2026

Giulio Verdini (Course Leader), Krystallia Kamvasinou,
Ripin Kalra, David Mathewson, Luz Navarro, Abubokkar Siddiki

MAIPSD trains students to design inclusive and resilient cities, addressing SDG 11. Recognising climate crisis’s colonial roots and Global North / South – East injustice, its Spatial Planning and Urban Resilience pathways build tools for just transitions and equitable urban futures.

This Master’s explores contemporary theories, policy and practice in international urban planning and design for sustainable development across the Global North and South, equipping students to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 amid growing climate, environmental, economic and social pressures.

The course recognises the historic colonial roots of the climate crisis and the underlying issues of climate justice between Global North, South, and East countries. Its three core modules are Planning in a Globalising World, International Spatial Planning Practice, and Sustainable Neighbourhood Development. Students then choose one of two specialist pathways: Spatial Planning, with a strong urban design and development planning focus, or Urban Resilience, focused on climate risk, adaptation and hazard management. Both pathways build critical knowledge to address social and environmental sustainability, enabling just climate mitigation and adaptation strategies across cities and regions worldwide.

Learning combines written assignments and studio-based group workshops, supported by lectures, seminars, tutorials and site visits, applied to real cases such as informal settlement upgrading in Indonesia and urban renewal in low-income African neighbourhoods, encouraging critical, comparative reflection on transferability and local application.

The course has established institutional links with partners in Brazil and Morocco, and a twin course will launch at Westminster International University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2027, signalling its global relevance.

A highlight is the annual international field trip; this year, MAIPSD students joined urban design peers in Rabat, Morocco, for a workshop on healthy neighbourhoods with the International University of Rabat.

Guest critics: Imane Bkiri, Leslie Ohomele (King’s Foundation), Youssef El Ganadi (UIR Morocco)

Special thanks: Jim Coleman, Peter Sharratt, Olivier Sykes

Students: