MSc Sustainable Planning and Practice with Extended Professional Practice

University of Hertfordshire

The module focuses on the roles of law and policy in the planning process, helping you understand how the statutory framework of planning influences what planners do in their day-to-day jobs. You will be taken through a planning and an appeal decision to learn how different actors approach the task of decision making through a "discretionary" system set within a statutory and policy framework. The scope for interactions between planning and other legislation, drawing on international examples, will be discussed.

The module provides you with an overview of the arguments advanced in the early 20th century for the establishment of state-led land use planning systems. It explores the concept of market failure which led to many urban problems such as poor housing and poor sanitation, then moves on to consider subsequent establishment of planned new settlements, and a series of changes as planning has evolved. The module also considers how the role of planners as professionals has changed, including the ethical roles of planners.

This module gives you direct and hands-on experience of good practices in planning and transport in the development of sustainable communities, with a unique focus on comparing approaches to planning with England. You'll explore interconnected themes across different scales. At a macro level, you will consider alternative approaches to land use planning and transport connectivity, environmental protection, regional economic development, policy divergence and differing practices. Through the module and the field trip, you will gain a deeper understanding of how places are transformed by planning and transport processes and critically reflect on how lessons from one geographical context can be applied elsewhere.

The content will cover finding and using reliable resources and how to use appropriate academic expression for different forms of academic communications including essays, reports, abstracts, executive summaries, essays, poster and oral presentations. Attention will be paid to ensuring that students have the skills necessary to use text matching software to avoid plagiarism and enhance scholarship skills. Teaching resources will also cover an introduction to using statistics and graphs, and there will be an in-class GIS session. Indicative subjects include: Effective reading and note taking in lectures Choosing reliable sources Use of text references and avoiding plagiarism/collusion Writing assignments Teamwork Time and project management The use of Excel formulae Exam preparation Oral presentation and visual materials e.g., PowerPoint and preparing a poster Using maps and GIS software to support research.

The dissertation provides an opportunity for you to carry out work in an area of planning that particularly interests you, and which addresses a contemporary concern in planning. You may choose to work on their dissertation with an external organisation such as a local authority, planning consultancy or voluntary sector organisation. The subject you select for your dissertation should reflect the specialism of their chosen pathway, i.e. practice, transport or environmental management.

Planning Skills and Methods is the first module on the MSc Sustainable Planning, and introduces you to both your fellow students, and the key knowledge and skills you will need to complete your studies and then go on to work in planning practice or research. It is based around a series of activities and assessments that mirror what planners do in the real world.

This module is designed to help you develop a detailed knowledge of the uses and potential for urban design and conservation to create places of high quality and enhance the public realm for the benefit of all. You will consider urban design and conservation in a range of temporal and spatial contexts, including at the regional and city level, and consider best practice responses to key urban design issues such as sprawl, walkability, transport orientation and creating compact, mixed use, nature-based development and redevelopment.

Sustainable Planning requires good decision making. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are critical to effectively map and analyse spatial data to facilitate those good decisions. Whether it be planning the location of new street furniture, or utility infrastructure for an entire city, maps provide a view not visible with spreadsheets and documents. This module will introduce you to many key computer skills every planner should have in their toolkit.

The module explores the ways in which places are managed, utilised and lived in and how that impacts the way we think about them. You'll examine the tools, methods and strategies that drive policymaking and plan-making processes, from vibrancy to viability., Expect to engage with real-world challenges, from building inclusive neighbourhoods to designing cities that support and embed public health, sustainability, and community potential.

The Work Placement module provides an opportunity for you to expand, develop and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills learnt in the taught modules of the postgraduate degree in a professional work-based situation.

The module explores sustainable energy and climate change in the context of spatial and transport planning and the environment; its management in the UK and globally, including through the IPCC, UN SDGs, and UK climate change targets and net zero goals. You will identify main energy sources and broad patterns of energy consumption, and the use of and interaction between place-based, behaviour change and technical solutions in relation to energy sources and use. The module draws on examples of good practice from the UK and internationally.

This module is designed to introduce you to the concept of participation, and its development into stakeholder engagement, within the planning process. You will investigate the various ways, statutory and otherwise, planners, developers and other stakeholders must involve public participation and community and stakeholder engagement in various projects and policy development processes. Key skills in engaging with stakeholders will be practiced and developed.