Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design

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Town & Regional Planning
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Related Courses All Spatial Planning PG courses
Pre-Sessional Programmes

Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design

Snapshot

Overview

Why choose spatial planning?

Spatial Planning is concerned with creating sustainable places. Planners achieve this in a number of ways:

• Planners work with building firms and housing organisations to help make available sites addressing the housing needs of local areas. They meet with local communities to learn about their concerns and to discuss ways of tackling issues such as the protection of homes from flood risk. They provide guidance on how to promote quality in the design of places and buildings.
• Planning makes possible investment in sustainable economic development. Through preparing medium and long-term plans, planners ensure that land is available for development within and around our cities and towns. Planners often lead on regeneration projects and work in partnership with engineers to bring forward the infrastructures necessary to relieve transport congestion and to provide for long-term energy solutions.
• Climate change is making achieving sustainability increasingly important. Planners, work with the environmental agencies and with conservation interests to ensure that the potential environmental impacts arising from development proposals are first established and then they use planning powers to promote a sustainable balance between social and economic development and the protection of the environment.

Who become planning students?

Spatial Planning is a multi-disciplinary activity and attracts a wide mix of graduates. Often these are geography graduates, but increasingly graduates with social science, law, architecture and surveying degrees, as well as graduates from the environmental sciences find that Spatial Planning makes use of their knowledge and training.

Aims of the Programme

The Spatial Planning programmes are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding required for graduates wishing to enter into professional careers in urban planning and development.

Programme Content

The programme is undertaken, on a full-time basis, over 12 months, or, on a part-time basis, normally over two years. It is organised on a modular basis and comprises four core modules and one specialist module with a linked research project.

The core modules are:

• Concepts of Spatial Planning
• Spatial Analysis
• Development and Planning Processes
• Sustainability in Contemporary Cities

The specialist module and the linked research project:

Place-making is acquiring increasing attention as a result of rising expectations about the amenity of home settings and the significance of walkability as a contribution to more sustainable life styles. The Sustainable Urban Design module aims to develop students' understanding of the sustainable design of places and to introduce them to the urban design skills of master-planning and knowledge of the systems in use for assessing the sustainability of the built environment. The specialist module is taught on an intensive basis over four weeks.

Following completion of the specialist module, each student takes an aspect of interest forward as the subject of a research project. Students undertake their projects over the summer months independently advised by the subject supervisor. The research project provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate project design, research, management and writing skills.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods cover a mix of formats including 'live' project-work and a research project. There are no written examinations. The educational aims are to develop subject understanding and to equip students with research and practice skills. Assignments call for visioning, problem-solving, forward-planning and critical reflection. Assignments are informed by students making effective use of available literature, conducting investigations and accessing sources of data. Attention is paid to building the effective communication and partnering skills vital for practicing professional planners.

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally have an upper-second class of honours degree, or equivalent, in a suitable discipline. Applications from individuals, without an honours degree, but with substantial work experience relevant to spatial planning, will be considered.

English Language Requirement: IELTS of 6.5 (or equivalent), if your first language is not English. Please check our Language Requirements page for details of equivalent grades from other test providers, and information about the University of Dundee English Language courses.

Sources of Funding

Information about the School of the Environment scholarships can be found on the School of the Environment scholarships webpage. Other sources of funding for postgraduate students can be found on our Scholarships webpage.

SAAS tuition fee loans are available for this course for students who meet the eligibility criteria. Visit our SAAS tuition fee loan webpage for more information and links.

Contact

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