Cities: From Local to Global

This subject is not offered in 2014.

120 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject was formerly called Contemporary Planning Issues.

Why do governments plan for cities and regions? What kinds of issues are they responding to? Why do planning decisions get some people so angry?

This subject will move from the very local scale (planning issues on my street), to the metropolitan (planning issues in my city-region) and international (planning issues in a global context) scales, in order to examine central issues and processes affecting planning systems in Australia and around the world. The subject is designed to provide an introductory understanding of current social, economic, environmental, and cultural concerns and their relation to planning issues.

You will be assessed on your ability to:

• communicate your informed opinions on contemporary planning issues and principles in Victoria and internationally, trends on these issues, and reasons for these trends;
• analyse and evaluate current planning debates and related arguments on these issues and the reasons for trends and projections, and the various value positions, in relation to theorie;
• develop solutions to identified problem;
• develop research and writing skills through independent research.

• 1,500 word essay on walkability and use of public space, due in week 5 (30%)
• 1,500 word essay on reducing inequalities in the context of metropolitan planning, due week 9 (30%)
• Poster (approximately 500 words plus illustrations) on how lessons from an international planning success story can be applied to Melbourne, due week after class ends (30%)
• Tutorial and class participation (10%) - Participation is assessed through a combination of one tutorial presentation (5%) and contribution to tutorial and class discussion (5%)

Course reader

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Upon successful completion of this subject you will have had the opportunity to develop the following skills:

• high level written and oral communication skills;
• familiarity with key planning issues;
• problem solving skills;
• research and analysis skills.