Future Planning Practice

Overview

The module will engage with planning practitioners to illustrate the wide variety of career paths for planning graduates within community, environmental and development sectors. It will highlight how planning graduates can future proof not only the places they design but also their own professional development. This module will incorporate a number of seminars that will highlight how urban designers and planning practitioners are at the forefront of creating more sustainable and just places internationally.

The module will include an interdisciplinary exercise with architectural students to consider how design policy can be interpreted differently by development management staff and professional architects. This exercise will improve the design literacy and policy interpretation of both groups of students and will build upon the character assessment skills developed in the first semester Spatial Literacy module.

Learning Objectives

On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

- engage in theoretical, practical and ethical debate at the forefront of how the planning professional can impact upon societal as well as environmental change;
- demonstrate an understanding of how the planning profession has evolved and adapted since its inception to meet changing circumstances whilst considering how the profession can future proof its practice to remain central to countering global challenges.
- demonstrate an understanding of ways in which planning practice can contribute to the solution of global challenges including climate change adaptation;
- evaluate the social, economic and environmental context within which planners and designers must operate considering how policy and practice changes reflect the political support for the profession;
- communicate professional arguments in an interdisciplinary context using appropriate terminology;
- recognise the importance of interdisciplinary working between planners and designers as part of the design, implementation and management of successful places;
- understand how planning skills can be utilised in a diverse array of professional environments.

Skills

With regard to developing specific skills, students will develop:

- generic skills: oral communication, negotiation skills; problem solving, use of IT and library services;
- professional planning skills: knowledge of the design evaluation process and interdisciplinary working.

Assessment

Students must pass both assignments.