Spatial Planning MSc

Oxford Brookes University

This module follows on from Research Methods and involves students undertaking and writing up a significant piece of independent research. The topic and focus of the dissertation will have been established through Assignment 2 in the Research Methods module, and should be related to the student’s area of specialisation earlier in the programme. The detailed research proposal submitted by students as part of Research Methods provides much of the direction needed to complete the dissertation in terms of research scope and programme. With this as a basis, each student works with an academic supervisor to produce an original piece of work through conducting their own primary research and reporting the findings and implications.

This module develops an appreciation of the role of urban design and place making in the creation and protection of high quality urban environments. Centring on a ‘live’ site with significant redevelopment potential, the module equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to appraise the character and quality of a place, and to generate imaginative and integrative visions for its future.

This module familiarises students with the legal, governance and professional contexts in and through which planning systems operate, as well as developing the core knowledge, skills and behaviours that planners need in professional practice. While special reference is made to planning frameworks and approaches in England and the UK, the module has an integral comparative dimension and various other planning systems internationally are  considered throughout.

This module builds understanding of the concept and principles of sustainability, including the various dimensions of sustainability that are integral to spatial planning and the interconnections between them. It develops skills in the interpretation and practice of sustainable development and understanding of the changing socio-political and environmental context within which spatial plans are generated and implemented.

This module provides students with a practical knowledge of the key research methods and skills applicable to spatial planning and related fields. The module develops a critical awareness and core understanding of different research philosophies, approaches and methods, in order to promote the design and delivery of effective research projects. On completion of the module, students will have developed the knowledge and skills needed to perform effectively as an independent researcher, a professional responsible for commissioning research and as a critical consumer of research.