Provide a 1,500 word critical overview of the Hoddle subdivision that established the plan for the city of Melbourne in 1837. In particular consider:

• Ownership and use of the land
• Physical and notional boundaries
• Historical basis for the subdivision, ie was there an example from elsewhere that was the basis of the plan?
• What was the role of planning in establishing Melbourne?
• Legacy of the layout today. What features remain?

Images of historic and current plans, and photos may be included.

Detailed assessment criteria and additional resources will be made available on iLearn.

In this assignment you are to select a completed place-making project in NSW and evaluate it by addressing the following headings:

Overview:

• Drawing on the academic literature on place-making, broadly overview the nature and practice of place-making
• Describe the aims and objectives of your selected place-making project

Background and context of the place-making project:

• Provide some background and context for the project (e.g. why has the particular site been selected, why is the project taking place, does the site have significant history?)
• Planning context: what is the relationship between the place-making project and local government and/or state government planning documentation?

Implementation processes:

• Who has been involved in the design of the project (consultancies, local government, local residents etc?)
• What community consultation and engagement practices have been part of the project? 
• What are the steps involved in the project?

Evaluation:

• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the project by drawing on the four qualities identified by the Project for Public Spaces that make great places: sociability; uses and activities; access and linkages; and comfort and image (see https://www.pps.org/article/grplacefeat)
• Discuss the outcomes of the place-making project and how it might evolve into the future

You may include referenced pictures of the place-making project.

In order to complete this evaluation you are required to draw upon at least two peer-reviewed academic texts on place-making. Some suggestions for potential resources will be provided on the iLearn site.

Detailed assessment criteria will be made available on the iLearn site for this course.

Attend and prepare a record of a meeting of a local Planning Panel at a local council. You are to consider the process of development assessment and determination in this meeting. Select a Planning Panel meeting date to attend and focus on a particular development application.

Your report should include:

A background statement addressing the name of the Panel, the local council, the location, time and date of meeting. What was on the agenda (ie how many items?) and the details of the application you’re focusing on. Who are the members of the Panel?

Details of the development application to be determined –

1. What is the proposed development?
2. What planning instruments and DCPs apply to the development?
3. Is the development permissible? Does it meet the zone objectives? What are the development standards that apply? Does the development comply with them? If not, what is the extent of the non-compliance?
4. Were there any objections to the development? What were the issues?
5. Reading the Officer’s Planning Report, what were the main planning issues with this application and how were they to be resolved?
6. Why did the matter need to be referred to the Planning Panel?

Panel Meeting

1. Who spoke on your matter? eg, architect, applicant, owner, planning consultant, objector/s.
2. What matters did they raise?
3. Were there any questions from the Panel? What were they?
4. How long was the matter before the Panel?
5. Was the decision consistent with the Officer’s Recommendation? What changes, if any, were made by the Panel in its determination of the application?

Critical Reflection

1. What did you think of the process? Was it open and transparent?
2. Did you understand what was happening?
3. Do you think people who attended the meeting got a fair hearing?
4. Was the meeting well-run and professional?
5. Was the process as you expected?

There are two parts to this assessment - a presentation to the class on news and issues in the local media relating to planning in a given week; and a cumulative reflection of the presentations of others throughout the semester.

Media Presentation

Students will be allocated a week to present a short 3 minute presentation on an article related to a planning issue/policy/strategy that has appeared in the media that week. The oral presentation will take place in class time and be worth 5% of the final mark. 

Reflection Portfolio

Date due: Wednesday June 6 (Week 13)

Weighting: 5%

Word length: 800 words

Students will be required to submit a ‘reflection portfolio’. This portfolio will be comprised of eight x 100 word weekly reflections on the media presentations of your peers. Instructions:

• Choose one presentation each week 
• Write a 100 word reflection summarising the content of a presentation on a planning issue/strategy/policy that most stood out to you and why.
• Collate a total of 8 reflections into a single document
• Submit the 800 word document for assessment.

Students cannot submit a reflection on their own media article presentation. 

Detailed assessment criteria will be available on iLearn.