Overview
Group study of a local or regional planning issue; planning theories, debates, ethics, research design, data collection, analysis and report writing.
PLAN 435 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 I |
|---|---|
| Subject | Planning Studies |
| EFTS | 0.2500 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | Full Year (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $2,303.00 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Notes
- Required for MPlan.
- Eligibility
Enrolments for this paper require departmental permission. View more information about departmental permission.
- Contact
- mplan@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information about PLAN 435
- 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 435 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