Students

GEOP370 – Urban Strategic Planning

2019 – S1 Day

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor/lecturer
Linda Kelly
Contact via email
6 First Walk room 433
Moderator
Alison Ziller
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp at 100 level or above) including (ENVG281 or GEOS280 or GEOS281 or GEOP181)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Designed to be a planning applications unit, this unit focuses on urban strategic planning at the regional and local government level, drawing on existing strategic plans at both levels of government in the Australian context. This unit allows students to develop practical skills for urban strategic planning, while also drawing on recent academic research published in major academic journals. On completion of this unit students will know how to approach urban strategic planning as an inter-agency/intra-department process. They will also have gained practice experience in assessing the scope of issues covered in urban strategic plans and the keys to effective strategy development.

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:

  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound appreciation of urban strategic planning in the recent NSW context
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.
  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.
  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved,

(a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date, and 

(b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven days (including weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Assessment tasks are designed to ensure you are learning during the unit. Please let the unit convenor know as soon as possible if you need clarification about the expectations for each task. Some general information:

  • All assessment tasks must be submitted in order to pass this unit
  • All assignments should be properly referenced using the Harvard system of referencing.
  • Text should be a minimum of 11 point font, 2 cm margins and line spacing of 1.5.
  • When using images and diagrams always cite the source, provide a label, and refer to them in your text.
  • Proof read your work at least twice.
  • Use Australian English.
  • All assessment tasks should be submitted via Turnitin.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Community video 30% No 25 March 12noon
Preparing a strategic plan 40% No 6 May
Plan workshop & presentation 30% No 3 June 4pm

Community video

Due: 25 March 12noon
Weighting: 30%

You are to imagine that you are working for an organisation which has decided to prepare a plan addressing a current planning issue. A list of issues from which you can choose will be included in the assessment guide posted on iLearn.

You are to prepare a three minute video which would be part of a community consultation strategy that is aimed at engaging the community in participating in the preparation of the plan. You want to motivate the public to want to know more about the project and ask them for their ideas.

Your video would begin by explaining the decision of your organisation to prepare the plan, what the plan means and the issues that would be covered. You would finish with a "call to action". 

This assessment is not to test your film making and editing skills but rather to get you to experiment with different media for community consultation. I would expect that you would speak in the video and utilise an appropriate background or images to keep your viewers' attention. Background music or other sounds could be used. These videos will be  shown in class in week 5 for discussion.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound appreciation of urban strategic planning in the recent NSW context
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.

Preparing a strategic plan

Due: 6 May
Weighting: 40%

This assessment requires you to prepare a plan for the Bankstown civic area. As a class we will visit the area on 1 April and meet with local planners. We will then work in class time to develop the aims/objectives of the plan. 

You will select one of the following issues:

  1. Connectivity
  2. Accessibility
  3. Community
  4. Resilience

An explanation of these issues will be given, and discussed, in class.

The Plan shall include the following parts:

  1. Introduction and Background (300 words)
  2. Objectives – (not included in word count)
  3. Issue chapter, including recommendations (1,000 words)
  4. Implementation (200 words)

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound appreciation of urban strategic planning in the recent NSW context
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.
  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.
  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

Plan workshop & presentation

Due: 3 June 4pm
Weighting: 30%

This assignment utilises the work you will do in class in weeks 10-12.

The workshop exercise involves you working in groups in class through a series of tasks which are outlined in detail in a Design Brief provided on iLearn.

For the purpose of the workshop exercise you are to imagine that you have been commissioned to undertake a planning study for the future use and embellishment of the public domain located east of Macquarie Theatre, known as “Macquarie Theatre Courtyard”. The University is your client and is canvassing alternative options for development of the courtyard.

Your group will present your plan to the class. The plans will be pinned up in class at 4pm on Monday 3 June.

Your group will be given a mark for the plan – 15%

You will each present to the class, on one aspect covered during the workshops - 15% individual mark for your presentation.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.
  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

Delivery and Resources

GEOP370 will be taught in a three hour weekly session. The Unit Schedule below provides a list of the topics to be covered. The first part of the class will generally be in a lecture format followed by a tutorial or practical session developing planning skills. There will be at least two field trips: 1. to listen to Gary White, NSW Chief Planner on 18 March, and 2. a site visit to Bankstown on 1 April.

Recommended texts for this unit are:

Stein, L (2017) Comparative Urban Land Use Planning: Best Practice, Sydney University Press, Sydney.

Jackson, S, Porter, L, and Johnson, L.C (2017), Planning in Indigenous Australia, Routledge, NY

Gurran, N., 2011 Australian urban land use planning: principles, systems and practice, Sydney University Press, Sydney.

The following websites contain material that will be referenced in the unit:

www.planning.nsw.gov.au

www.legislation.nsw.gov.au

Further resources will be posted on iLearn.

Unit Schedule

4pm - 7pm Mondays 

Week 1: Introduction to unit. What is strategic planning?

Week 2: Strategic planning & metropolitan planning in NSW

Week 3: State and local policy and plans

Week 4: Site visit - NSW Department of Planning & Environment, Chief Planner Gary White

Week 5: Student video presentations

Week 6: Site visit - Bankstown

Week 7: Representing evidence on plans and maps

Week 8: Planning proposals

Week 9: Observing the everyday

Week 10: Planning workshop Part 1

Week 11: Planning workshop Part 2

Week 12: Planning workshop Part 3

Week 13: Student plan presentations

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/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

Student Support

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

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.

Assessment task

  • Preparing a strategic plan

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound appreciation of urban strategic planning in the recent NSW context
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.
  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.
  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A clear understanding of the underlying principles of urban strategic planning and plan making
  • A sound appreciation of urban strategic planning in the recent NSW context
  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.
  • A capacity to research and apply current academic literature to urban strategic planning issues.
  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Experience in working as a team in urban strategic planning

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • An understanding of the role of urban strategic planning and plan implementation in shaping our cities.

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • A sound understanding of how to develop an urban strategic plan.

Assessment tasks

  • Community video
  • Preparing a strategic plan