This is a literature review that requires a critical analysis of a series of scholarly articles to answer the question: 'What are the benefits and barriers to the uptake of cycling?' Benefits and barriers should be considered as primarily relating to the built environment however a well rounded review will also draw in social, cultural, political and economic aspects. A list of suggested articles to review will be available on iLearn along with more detailed assignment outline including a set of grading guidelines. You should use the assignment outline on iLearn for official guidance on this assignment, however here are some preliminary tips:

• There's no specific requirement for the number of articles to review however you'll need to provide a convincing answer to the review question.
• Please structure your assignment using an introduction, body and conclusion.
• Please use the Harvard system for referencing (this is an easy way to gain and/or lose marks so it's worth getting it right!). Look up the requirements of the Harvard system online - there's plenty of guidance out there.
• Consider using subheadings for themes coming out of the literature. Write clearly.
• Try to be critical and look for inconsistencies and tensions in the literature - for example are barriers identified by one study not considered in another? Are the methods used appropriate? Are study limitations acknowledged and justified? Is the study overly contextual and therefore its findings not transferable to an Australian context?
• Please proof read your work.
• Please use Australian (British) English. See http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/british-and-american-spelling if you're unsure. Again, this is another great way to gain marks.

The aim of this assignment is to ensure you're familiar with some of the barriers to the uptake of cycling but also to set the standard for the presentation of future assignments. Writing is a great skill to have as a planner and here is an opportunity to make it perfect.

Word limit: 1500 words.

Submission: Via Turnitin by 9am on Friday 22/09/14. 

Further questions: Please post to iLearn so everyone can benefit from the answer.

Task: Deliver a report on active transport access and egress issues observed around a school site.

This assignment requires that you familiarise yourself with the locality around a school site. You will need to visit the locality on a school day and in your own time. The site can be anywhere and the school can be public or private.

You are required to undertake two periods of observation - one in the morning in the half hour prior to school starting, and one in the afternoon as school finishes. You’ll also need to do a ‘foot survey’ (ie. walk around) the periphery of the school site. At no point should you enter the school grounds or speak to school students or staff.

Develop a short report which ultimately identifies any issues of urban form and function around the outside of the school that might act as ‘barriers’ to the use of active transport to school for students and staff.

The report should include (but not necessarily in this order):

• A short introduction detailing the aims of your report and a breakdown of its contents.
• Your methods including but not limited to how your observations were carried out, the time, day and date of your visit and the weather on the day;
• A description of the planning context of the site, including the primary planning instrument applicable to the site and any other statutory instruments or strategic planning issues that might be relevant.
• A description of the school site and its land use context (ie. the form and function of the school and surrounding development, including zoned use and actual use). You might want to include a print out of the applicable zoning map, images of surrounding development etc.
• A description of the site’s transport context including the surrounding transport network, eg. roads (including condition, capacity, speed limit), footpaths and/or cycleways, relevant signage, nodes (eg. pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, kiss and ride facilities, bus stops) and destinations (eg. school entry points).
• A list of observed access and egress issues. You might want to use examples of best practice from the literature or published guidelines to identify areas of inconsistency between your observed school site and these examples.  A folder containing planning guidelines for walking and cycling is on iLearn under “Resources”.
• A series of recommendations for how these issues could be overcome through modifications to the built environment and/or educational programs.

In addition to text, all issues should be visually presented in your report using a drawing (plan) of the site and photos taken during your visit. Your plan does not need to be to scale however it should be as accurate as possible in representing the school site and the way it relates to the site and context. Ensure all images and drawings are incorporated into your report text using labels, captions and/or descriptive text. And make sure they are good quality!

Word Limit: 1,500 words, excluding diagrams, plans, photos etc.

Submission: In person at the beginning of the session on Friday 05/09/14. Please don't work on your assignment during this class, it will need to be submitted at 9am.

Further questions: Please post to iLearn so everyone can benefit from the answer.

This assignment requires submission of a review of existing planning and delivery documents relating to planning for cycling in Australia with a focus on the area around the Wentworth Point UAP. You should be able to use the information collated for this assignment as part of your final bike plan. Further information on this assignment will form part of that provided for Assignment 5.

Word limit: 1500 words, excluding diagrams, plans, photos etc.

Submission: Via Turnitin by 9am on Friday 03/10/14. 

Further questions: Please post to iLearn so everyone can benefit from the answer.

This will be a 15 minute one-on-one meeting onsite at Sydney Olympic Park with the unit convenor. You'll be required to present your bike plan and talk through its final recommendations as though presenting to a client or government authority. You'll also be required to submit a one page executive summary of your plan. The convenor will provide feedback on the plan's progression which is to be incorporated into your final submission.

The final assessment task for the unit will be submission of an active transport plan for a proposed school site in the Wentworth Point Urban Activation Precinct. Your plan should be a polished piece of work and one that can potentially be used to demonstrate your skills in project planning and presentation to potential employers. 

Further guidelines of its contents and assessment criteria will be provided at the beginning of the unit.