Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module aims to develop first year students reflexivity and critical thinking skills; introduce concepts related to 'place' and 'place-making;' introduce research skills and practice, and develop good practice in group working. The module will enable planning students to consider the importance of relationships between people and places, how places live, and are lived-in, through multi-disciplinary perspectives introduced in lectures, methods workshops and their own fieldwork. Specifically students will develop awareness of different places within Tyne & Wear gaining an understanding of key issues and opportunities in the local area.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module is designed to enhance students’ critical understandings of particular places within Tyne & Wear. The module is designed to introduce social science research knowledge and skills that will be built on in stage 2 (TCP2027) and prepare the student for undertaking an independent (supervised) research project on a topic selected by the student (TCP3099).

The module’s teaching and learning is provided through a) lectures exploring multi-layered concepts of place, including a range of issues such as atmosphere, emotion and lived experiences of place; feminist and post-colonial debates on place; power and place b) Methods workshops providing a range of approaches students might use to explore and understand place, and introduce the notion that there are different 'ways of knowing' place c) group work projects allow students to conduct research into a specific place in Tyne and Wear, and present their findings.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

- A good understanding of current national and international debates on place and methods of investigating these in various localities which are context sensitive
- A strong knowledge of current key themes and challenges that localities face in contemporary times, drawing from a multi-disciplinary and rich literature on ‘place’ and from a plethora of case studies.
- A clear grasp of adequate research methods, for understanding place beyond positivist planning and economics, with their weaknesses and strengths as well as the advantages of combining them and triangulating data for multi-layered understandings of place.

Intended Skill Outcomes

1. Students will learn to link theoretical discussions to current events and practical issues, and discern between reliable and unreliable knowledge sources;
2. Students will learn to plan and write a critically analytical essay on issues of place in relation to urbanism and planning as well as other cognate disciplines such as sociology, politics, urban design, planning history, data science.
3. Students will engage in critical thinking through debate and discussion in the (virtual) classroom.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The structured guided learning activities provide a detailed explanation of the key issues and an examination of important literatures and methodological approaches in relation to the main theme of the project: place. The scheduled learning and teaching activities provide support for discussions about the application of the theoretical and methodological concepts presented in the lecture material to current urban issues. The guided independent study will enable students to both achieve the intended knowledge and skills outcomes identified for the module, as well as enabling to help them prepare for the creation of their assessment submission. There is opportunity for practical and group based learning, in a supported environment.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assesment allows students to develop group working skills, and try out creative methodologies to support their understanding of 'place.' Individual reflective logs outweigh group assesment grades, to ensure that students can 'have a voice' in their own work.

General Notes

N/A