PLANNING 7035 - Planning Theory and Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

This course presents and analyses the development of planning theory over the twentieth and twenty first centuries. It seeks to provoke a process of reflection on the scope and purpose of planning by contrasting the development of thinking about the fundamental purpose of planning and how it should be carried out in practice. This reflection leads in turn to a discussion of the ethics of planning practice which includes a range of practical scenario situations which students must address in interactive and role playing sessions.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PLANNING 7035
    Course Planning Theory and Practice
    Coordinating Unit School of Architecture and Built Environment
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Assessment Comparative Planning Seminar Paper (35%); Practical Planning Report (35%); Planning Ethics Essay (30%)
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Emma Baker

    Professor Jon Kellett
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1. Critically analyse the variety of approaches that have driven and characterised planning activity over time
    2. Analyse a planning problem and its solution and relate this to planning theory
    3. Critically analyse the role of planning in modern economies and societies.
    4. Critically evaluate the role of the modern planning professional
    5. Explain and appreciate the importance of ethics in planning practice
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3,5
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1,2,3,4,5
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2,3,4,5
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1,2,3,4,5
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1,2,3,4,5
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1,2,3,4,5
  • Learning Resources
    Recommended Resources
    Please refer to MyUni for details of recommended readings and websites

    Speaker Series:
    The School has a fortnightly lecture series where respected practitioners and academics from the field deliver a public lecture on contemporary architectural practice. In order to expand your knowledge of contemporary directions in design it is recommended that you attend these sessions. The exact detail of dates and speakers is available from the School website and the Front Office.
    Online Learning
    University Email:
    The school uses the University email system to get in touch with the students.
    So it is imperative that you check your email regularly and keep up to date with any new announcements.

    MyUni:
    MyUni is an essential online tool which will be used to communicate information regarding the course including details of assignments and interim grades. There are many other learning resources and assessment pieces that rely on the MyUni system for delivery. Therefore it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the various functions of MyUni and employ it to its fullest extent. https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au

    Discussion Board:
    The MyUni Discussion Board can be used to interact with other students and tutors and is an essential tool to discuss information and increase your understanding of issues.

    Lecture Recording:
    In certain cases the recording of the lectures is made available in electronic format for students to listen through on their own time and make notes, and is provided through the MyUni system. However, this service is only available for lectures with essential course content and may not include guest lectures.

    Furthermore, where the presentation content is subject to copyright or the guest speaker is uncomfortable with the recording of the content, the lecture recording will not be made available online. So students should not rely solely on this mode of learning and arrange to attend or get lecture content from peers.

    Noticeboard / Handbook:
    General information about the activities at the School is available online from the Student Noticeboard which can be accessed at
    https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-studentarchitecture/current-student
    Students can also access a copy of the Student Handbook at the following link:
    https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-student-architecture/enrolments
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    Workshops including presentations, tutorials on defined readings and practical exercises.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The University expects full-time students (ie. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote at least 48 hours per week to their studies. Accordingly, students undertaking this 3 unit course are expected to devote 12 hours per week to contact activities and self-guided studies.

    Based on this framework here are some figures that might assist workload management:

    For a 3 unit course:
    Total workload hours: 12 Hrs per week x 13 weeks = 156 Hrs
    Total contact hours: 3 Hrs per week x 12 weeks = 36 Hrs
    Total self-guided study:  9 Hrs per week x 13 weeks = 117 Hrs
     
    These  117 hours should be used towards preparation of weekly tasks and for completion of the various assignments
    associated with the course, including development of various skills required to complete the same. Please organise your time wisely.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Teaching & Learning Activity Learning Outcomes
    Workshop 1,3,4,5
    Directed reading 1,2,3,4,5

    Schedule
    Week Lecture Tutorial Assessment
    1 Origins of Planning
    2 Utopianism Read Fishman
    3 Modernism and systems approaches Read Rittel & Webber
    4 The Fragmentation of Planning Read Evans or Reade
    5 The scope of modern Planning Read Boulding
    6 Introduction to project Project work #1
    Mid Semester Break
    7 Key challenges for modern Planning Read Sorensen & Auster and Sandercock
    8 Planning as a Profession: The role of ethics Read Davidoff
    9 Environmental ethics and global justice Read Agyeman
    10 Philosophy of ethics Practical exercise
    11 Workplace ethics Practical exercise #2
    12 The ERD court and acting as a professional witness Practical exercise
    13 #3
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Length Due Learning Outcome
    Written seminar paper (individual) Summative 35% 1500 words Week 6 1,2,3
    Applied planning project  (individual) Summative 35% 2000 words Week 11 2,3,4
    Ethics essay (individual) Summative 30% 1200 words Week 13 4,5
    Total 100%
    Assessment Detail
    The detail of each assessment will be made available on the course MyUni site.
    Submission
    All work should be submitted electronically using the course MyUni site. Students should ensure that work is submitted on time on or before the due date
    Late work will not be marked.
    Extensions will be granted for valid reasons such as illness but these must be arranged with the course co-ordinator before the submission deadline.
    Where appropriate, Harvard referencing conventions should be used.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.