Beijing Urban Design Studio
MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning offers this 2008 studio course centered on the redevelopment of the Shougang (Capital Steel Factory) site in Beijing. Students grapple with de-industrialization, weighing whether parts of the old factory infrastructure can be preserved as industrial heritage while addressing environmental cleanup, cultural and recreational uses, and low-energy development approaches. Coursework involves direct interaction with the steel factory's management, local residents, city officials, and outside experts in transportation, environment, energy, and real estate, culminating in strategic proposals and comprehensive design plans for the brownfield site. Materials on MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, assignments, and studio project briefs, free to access under a Creative Commons license. No certificate is offered, consistent with MIT OCW's self-study format, but the case study offers a concrete look at how planners balance heritage, ecology, and urban growth on a real, contested industrial site.