Module Catalogue

APL1003 : Planning Contexts

  • Offered for Year: 2025/26
  • Available for Study Abroad and Exchange students, subject to proof of pre-requisite knowledge.
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Alexander Wilson
  • Lecturer: Professor John Pendlebury, Dr Loes Veldpaus, Dr Andrew Law
  • Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

This module introduces the hybridity of the planning context - political, economic, legal, others, and reflects on how planning is an expression of these different dimensions, and articulates its purposes utilising these framings. It introduces students to these contexts’ particular foundations and considerations and it utilises these disciplines, mechanisms and modes of operating to accommodate environmental and societal challenges (such as climate change, healthy living, etc.), and reflects on how planners, developers and designers have to respond to these different demands and accommodate these challenges in the proposals they produce.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will engage with the topics below (this is not a week-by-week plan):

Introduction to Planning: Exploring why planning is essential and understanding it as a multidisciplinary field.

Designing Systems: Examining system design as a political process, shaped by governance structures.

Planning in a Political Context: Understanding planning as a statutory obligation, including consultation and stakeholder engagement.

Legal Foundations of Planning: Investigating the statutory nature of planning and the role of legal challenges in decision-making.

Planning for Climate Action: Exploring strategies for mitigating climate change through planning.

Social Dimensions of Planning: Considering planning's role in addressing societal needs.

Policy Development in Planning: Examining the process of shaping planning policies.

Decision-Making in Practice: Understanding the development decision-making process.

Support Sessions: Offering tailored guidance and support.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion1167:00167:00Students follow up reading, work on their assignments
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture102:0020:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops52:0010:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery13:003:00Drop in session (PIP or online if needs be)
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students will be introduced to key ideas through a lecturing format this will include introducing students to hybrid nature of planning, reflecting on its legal, political, economic, social framing, and how this shapes Planning’s ability to plan. This will then be applied through the lectures/workshop sessions to explore how these ideas occur in practice. Some content will be provided using online material ahead of the session.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Essay2A601500 words. How planning manages societal concerns through policy & planning mechanisms
Poster2M40Group work poster reflecting on how global issues impact local decisions.
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Oral Presentation2MFormative presentation for essay 2
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The first assignment enables students to consider how planning tackles significant societal challenges through the policy or development approval processes. The second assessment develops students' understanding in how planning engages with societal issues, and skills in digital poster production.

Reading Lists

Timetable