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GEOP8075 – Planning, Principles and Places

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor/Lecturer
Professor Donna Houston
Contact via Email
Email to make an appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MEnvPlan or MPlan or GradCertEnvPlan or MEnvMgt or MEngMgt or MPPP or MEnv or GradDipEnv or GradCertSusDev or GradDipSusDev or GradCertEnvPlan or GradCertSIA or GradDipSIA or MDevStud or MSusDev
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the complexities of planning, development and place-making in the public domain. The unit considers both theoretical and practical perspectives with a focus upon the foundation elements of planning frameworks including stakeholders and participation, governance and assessment, planning principles and professional planning ethics. This unit relates theory to practice, paying particular attention to what it means to plan in the public interest in the 21st century, generating professional practice skills for students.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain the basis for the theory and practice of planning and place-making processes
  • ULO2: Describe the role of planners and stakeholders in the development of plans and planning principles at different levels of governance
  • ULO3: Interpret plans and policies to identify and critically evaluate planning and design issues
  • ULO4: Understand planning principles and their role in planning practice
  • ULO5: Prepare clear well-structured reports addressing planning issues which are suitable for a variety of audiences.
  • ULO6: Recognise the operation of values and ethical issues in planning processes

General Assessment Information

Where can you find out more detailed information about assignments?

Please consult the folder in the GEOP8075 iLearn page labelled 'Assessment'. Here you will find more detailed instructions for each assessment item, marking criteria and rubrics. The assessment folder contains links to useful resources and guides. You are encouraged to post questions about assignments in the General Discussion Forum on the main iLearn page.

Quiz

A quiz will be given in Week 10. The quiz will be a mix of multiple choice, or true/false type questions, and short format answers. Please be aware that the quiz is a time sensitive task that will be available for a limited amount of time on iLearn. No late submissions or time extensions will be accepted for the quiz unless you have an approved special consideration request.

Group task - Putting planning principles into practice

This assignment is a mixture of group and individual assessment.  For students attending the on-campus workshop, there is class-time dedicated to this task so that your group has an opportunity to work together on the assignment. For students attending in online-flexible mode, you will be introduced to your group by week 2 and you will collaborate online to complete the task. Please note that 50% of the mark for the 'putting planning principles into practice task' is individually assessed. The individual component of the task requires you to submit a 800-word summary of three readings that you have individually selected and analysed for the group project - this should be written in your own words and reflect your unique contribution to the development of the planning principles. You will be required to submit your written summary to Turnitin in iLearn by 1pm on Tuesday 2 April.

The remaining 50% of the group project mark will be based on the quality of the group project and the presentation of your planning principles. The group projects must be ready to present in class in Week 7. Students enrolled for in person attendance will present in class, while students enrolled in online-flexible will submit a Zoom recording of their presentation by the beginning of the timetable class.

Submitting your assignments

Unless otherwise specified, you are required to submit your assignments by the time and date provided in this Unit Guide via the Turnitin link provided in iLearn. Please keep an electronic copy of your assignment and a record of your submission for reference.

Late assessment penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/ exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment marks and feedback

Individual marks and feedback to students will be provided via Turnitin. Feedback will include the rubric, intext comments and general feedback. You are encouraged to utilise these resources to develop your skills in subsequent assessments.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Putting planning principles into practice 40% No 02/04/2024
Quiz/test 10% No 05/05/2024-12/05/2024
Analysis of a planning project 50% No 28/05/2024

Putting planning principles into practice

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 02/04/2024
Weighting: 40%

 

Working in small groups, students will prepare a set of principles guiding planning public spaces. The group presentation will outline key definitions, the principles and stakeholders and be of a professional quality. The individual component of the task is a 800 word summary of research used to develop the planning principles.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe the role of planners and stakeholders in the development of plans and planning principles at different levels of governance
  • Understand planning principles and their role in planning practice
  • Prepare clear well-structured reports addressing planning issues which are suitable for a variety of audiences.
  • Recognise the operation of values and ethical issues in planning processes

Quiz/test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 05/05/2024-12/05/2024
Weighting: 10%

 

Quizzes will be used to test the development of knowledge and vocabulary of planning processes.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the basis for the theory and practice of planning and place-making processes
  • Describe the role of planners and stakeholders in the development of plans and planning principles at different levels of governance
  • Interpret plans and policies to identify and critically evaluate planning and design issues
  • Recognise the operation of values and ethical issues in planning processes

Analysis of a planning project

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 28/05/2024
Weighting: 50%

 

Students will undertake a comprehensive analysis of a contemporary planning project and prepare a 2000 word report outlining the planning context, key issues identified and recommendations.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the basis for the theory and practice of planning and place-making processes
  • Interpret plans and policies to identify and critically evaluate planning and design issues
  • Prepare clear well-structured reports addressing planning issues which are suitable for a variety of audiences.
  • Recognise the operation of values and ethical issues in planning processes

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

GEOP8075 is available as in person/ on-campus (internal) or online-flexible (external) offerings depending on the stream you have enrolled in.

For on-campus students the unit is delivered as a postgraduate seminar/workshop. Unless advised otherwise, the first hour of class will be delivered as a pre-recorded Echo360 lecture in iLearn. You are required to listen to the lecture before attending class each week. For the second part of the seminar you should attend the workshop in the timetabled room - details will be provided on iLearn. The classes comprise a mix of structured activities, small group work, guest presentations and discussion of the weekly readings. Class time has also been set aside for assignment preparation, individually and in groups.

Online flexible (external) students will have the prerecorded lecture (available by the timetabled class) and resources and activities available each week on iLearn under the label "Online-flexible option". These activities are self directed and it is up to individual students to manage their time to undertake the work.  

Unit readings can be accessed via Leganto. The Leganto link is located in the top right panel of the GEOP8075 iLearn main page. Please contact Linda if you are having trouble accessing the readings as they are essential to your assignments and to the class discussions.

The GEOP8075 iLearn page contains additional resources in the 'Assessment' folder and under the weekly topic headings. Please make sure that you regularly check the iLearn page and your Macquarie University student email for updates and information regarding this unit.

Unit Schedule

W1 Introduction. Planners and the public interest

W2 Planning theories

W3 Planning and participation

W4 Planning principles

W5 Planning and design: placemaking

W6 Placemaking practices

W7 Student presentations

W8 Planning systems and urban governance

W9 NSW planning system; governance and ethics

W10 Development assessment

W11 Planning and politics

W12 Planning, principles and places

W13 No classes – final assessment due

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2024.01 of the Handbook