Overview
Group study of a local or regional planning issue; planning theories, debates, ethics, research design, data collection, analysis and report writing.
PLAN 535 is based on specific case studies of planning issues in urban and/or rural settings and is undertaken by both first- and second-year students. Student groups act as honorary consultants to the client, typically a local authority within New Zealand. Each student group works on a local planning problem or concern identified by the client agency to analyse the issues involved, identify options for addressing these and formulate recommendations for implementation
About this paper
| Paper title | Planning Thinking and Research: Case Study II |
|---|---|
| Subject | Planning Studies |
| EFTS | 0.2500 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | Full Year (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $2,704.75 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Limited to
- MPlan
- Notes
- Required for MPlan.
- Contact
- mplan@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information about PLAN 535
- Teaching staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Michelle Thompson-Fawcett
- Paper Structure
The paper mainly comprises lecture sessions, group study sessions, a week-long fieldtrip and a formal presentation to the client at the end of the research process.
All class members are assigned to one of a number of small groups and will operate as a member of that group for the duration of the paper until the submission of the final report. This exercise will involve meeting as a study group on a regular basis (once or twice a week) for the project duration. In addition to study group sessions, regular lectures are held to support the different components of the research process.
The paper is 100% internally assessed, consisting of a group report (90%) and a formal group presentation (10%).
- Teaching Arrangements
2 x 1 hour session per week in scheduled weeks run over both semester one and semester two.
- Textbooks
- Resources are provided to students as and when required as the paper progresses.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
By the end of the paper, all students in PLAN 535 must demonstrate acquisition of the following:
- Ability to develop a coherent research project in conjunction with an external agency
- Appreciation of the significance of biophysical and socioeconomic interrelationships within environmental systems as a cause of environmental problems and as a consideration in developing planning policies
- Appreciation of the different political, administrative and statutory contexts within which planning takes place
- Communication and networking skills and the ability to work as part of a team
- Independent research and practical planning skills and an ability to carry out a successful research project
- Ability to analyse planning issues and to formulate policy recommendations to address these
Additionally, PLAN 535 students must demonstrate the application of the following skills gained from completion of PLAN 435 in their first year of study within MPlan:
- Quality leadership skills, including mentoring and, as appropriate, team leadership roles
- Professional standards of work in both written and oral communication
- The use of skills acquired in PLAN 435 to enhance the quality of research and report writing in the study for PLAN 535
- Sound knowledge of the planning process and the ability to apply planning skills in practice (i.e. in working in a consultancy capacity for the client)