Participation and Negotiation

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

This subject has quota of 50.
Students will be selected into the subject as they self-enrol during the timely re-enrolment period. If the enrolment quota is exceeded, Master of Urban Planning students will be given preference. Any students enrolling after the quota has been reached will be withdrawn from the subject and advised of the alternative subjects available.

170 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

All practitioners who work in local environments (built, natural, social) need at some point to be aware of the strategies and techniques that can be employed to elicit constructive involvement from the public, and to negotiate changes to environments where we live, play, and work. This subject will impart to students the skills involved in encouraging and managing participation. These skills include:

• Community consultation, research and participation
• Negotiation, mediation, consensus-building in complex situations with deep value differences
• Evaluation of community participation processes.

There will be considerable reliance on hands-on exercises based on case studies from around the world. The subject aims to be relevant to urban and social planners, landscape architects, urban designers, architects, property professionals, community developers and environmental activists.

On completion of this subject, students should have

• Knowledge of community and built environment change processes
• Techniques and skills involved in encouraging and managing participation and consensus-building in the planning and design of changes to our natural, working, and living environments
• Ability to analyse their past and current experiences in built environment processes in light of heightened knowledge and understanding
• Ability to write and discuss clearly and persuasively on topics related to the process of change in the built environment.

1. Three mini-essays relating to class discussion with readings (250 words and 5% each), due in class the day after the appropriate lecture/discussion, 750 words, 15%, due during intensive.
2. Four in-class group exercises (5% each, 5 minute group presentations), 1000 words, 20%, due during intensive.
3. Group presentation (10 minutes), 750 words, 15%, during final teaching day of intensive.
4. Final essay, 2500 words, 50%, due 2 months after class ends.

Readings on LMS

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• The ability to engage in interdisciplinary work
• Identification of emergent trends in practice
• Critical evaluation of policies and practices
• Understanding of ethical responses to issues