Chang Liu

Name: Chang Liu

After finishing a five-year undergraduate programme in urban planning, I wanted to explore more aspects in the field of urban study. This meant I was really attracted to the Urbanism track at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, its multidisciplinary environment, where we are able and encouraged to extend the boundaries of urban design, strategic planning, technical design, landscape architecture and architectural design. 

Rooted in the dynamic and unique Dutch tradition, this two-year Urbanism programme has taught me lots of innovative insights into the challenges of today’s natural and built environment, as well as many valuable study methods and philosophies. There were two methods among them that benefitted and inspired me the most. 

Firstly, great attention is paid in the Urbanism track to the combination of research and design, from the very beginning of the project through to its end. This method helps to create a logical and complete narrative; you keep reviewing the projects all the time and eventually achieve a combination of both academic and practical training. 

Secondly, we were free to explore and imagine future scenarios conceptually, but also asked to try to realistically analyse their feasibility in their specific social and spatial contexts. This taught us how to deal with different stakeholders, how to define road maps and tackle problems in a more flexible way. 

All in all, I’m glad to have chosen TU Delft and it certainly helped me become more prepared for my future career.