UNSW tackles housing s hot issues

UNSW tackles housing’s hot issuesAustralia’s property industry should prepare future leaders to address housing affordability, density and urban renewal, according to the University of NSW.With increased social and political attention on housing affordability, city density and major urban renewal projects, Australia’s property industry should be preparing future leaders to tackle these issues, says the University of NSW (UNSW).Professor Sue Holliday, director of Urban Policy and Strategy in the faculty of Built Environment, UNSW, says large urban renewal projects such as Barangaroo, Sydney, have made housing policy a hot topic for legislators and the property industry.”Affordability is on everyone’s mind,” says Professor Holliday, who runs UNSW’s newly developed Master of Urban Policy and Strategy (MUPS) postgraduate degree. Designed to shape the careers of future leaders in the property industry, the course covers subjects about the urban transformation of cities.Created by UNSW a year ago for students from diverse backgrounds within property and development, the course has attracted attendees from interstate.”There’s no other course in Australia on urban policy,” Professor Holliday says. “It’s very much about improving the practice of urban policy, about getting people to think very differently about how to plan and change cities.”Students are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.”It’s also about collaborating with a network of people you’ll be dealing with as future leaders.”The MUPS course is designed for students who work full-time but want to enhance their understanding of urban policy or progress into a policy career in the property, city planning, transport and/or infrastructure sectors.Students learn how to use and interpret data, to prepare evidence-based policy and to understand core development finance feasibilities.Subjects covered include the drivers of urban change, strategic urban policy, decision-making and governance, strategic planning and assessment tools, digital cities and urban leadership.The course is intensively taught over three Fridays/Saturdays a semester, in tutorial style with guest lecturers from the senior levels of industry. Class sizes are small and industry experts feature as guest speakers, Professor Holliday says.To learn more about the course, prospective students can attend the UNSW Built Environment 2015 Postgrad Information Session on 27 April 2015. The event will be held from 5pm at Rydges World Square, 389 Pitt Street, Sydney.Attendees will learn about the MUPS course and other UNSW Built Environment postgraduate degrees, such as the Master of Property and Development (MPD).The MPD course is designed for students seeking a career in property development, investment and/or property management and infrastructure. Graduates will be able to apply their skills to manage large commercial property portfolios, work in corporate valuation companies or develop careers in financial institutions.