Constitutive conditions of transforming pedagogies in urban design: A critical reflection on METU MUD Studio (1996-2025)

This article investigates the constitutive conditions of urban design pedagogies through the case of the Middle East Technical University (METU) Master of Urban Design studios. Drawing on the distinction among pragmatic, normative, and exploratory pedagogies, the study moves beyond a typological classification to examine the contextual factors that shape these approaches in practice. Utilizing archival materials, course documents, interviews, and analyses of studio outputs, it constructs a periodization of pedagogical approaches and identifies the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that have informed their development. The findings highlight how urban design pedagogies are historically constituted through the dynamic interplay of these conditions, reflecting evolving contexts rather than fixed or static identities.