Chair of Spatial Planning and Strategy, TU Delft
KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SPATIAL PLANNING CURRICULUM
First Draft, Vincent Nadin 16 May 2009This paper is intended to start a discussion that will lead to a distinctive flavour and more coherence in spatial planning education at TU Delft. We will work towards a common position. This will take time. This is not directed at a particular teaching programme. We do not have a monopoly on teaching these topics.
The paper is intentionally brief. It draws from various sources on planning education, and discussions with Ana Maria and others. It is influenced particularly by my work on European spatial planning, comparative European planning systems and the development of a new curriculum for spatial planning for the UK government. It needs more of a Dutch and international (non-European) input, among other things.
You are invited to say where you would give priority and what is missing.
The distinctive character of spatial planning at TU Delft
a focus on spatial planning interventions to achieve broader societal goals and a concern for the distributional consequences of development and intervention;
a model of strategic planning that emphasises argument for and coordination of the spatial impacts of sectoral policies on the qualities of places;
an international perspective recognising that spatial planning is deeply rooted in the prevailing social model;
a substantive focus on strategic planning and urban modernisation/transformation in complex urban regions (like the Randstad);
a need for tools and methods that combine scientific evidence and citizen participation;
a professional ethic that recognises the interdisciplinary nature of planning and the limitations of professional expertise.The curriculum
1. Spatial development trends in the network society
What is spatial development? Why is it important? What are the main spatial characteristics of different types of territory, particularly at different scales within complex urban regions? The spatial dynamics of social, economic and environmental conditions and spatial disparities.
2. The drivers of spatial development
What are the local and non-local forces that drive spatial development and the quality of places and territories? How have these changed? Why do some places prosper and others fail? Global forces, the market and liberalisation. Network society, mobility, technology, ICT and their implications. What is the contribution of planning, the design professions and public policy in shaping spatial development?
3. Values and goals for spatial planning
Why is spatial planning not value-free? The distributional consequences of planning. How can spatial planning be used as a progressive force? The role of professions and ethics. The resolution of environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and social cohesion. The notion of territorial cohesion.
4. Paradigms of planning thought
How does the idea of planning vary across time and place? Changing paradigms of planning thought: city design, economic planning, procedural planning, critical theory, advocacy and social planning, entrepreneurial planning, the communicative turn and collaborative planning.
5. Comparative spatial planning models and cultures
How do models of spatial planning vary? The importance of the social model to styles of spatial planning: urbanism, land use regulation, regional economic and integrated planning. The European model and its history – spatial policy integration between sectors, jurisdictions and geographical boundaries. Cross-national comparison and the limitations of transfer. Spatial planning in developing countries, the export and import of planning ideas.
6. Dutch spatial and urban planning and regional design
The history of Dutch spatial planning in theory and practice, strengths and weaknesses, and outcomes Regional design and key substantive Dutch planning concepts. The cultural, institutional and political contexts. Spatial planning and urban transformation in the Randstad.
7. The planning process or cycle
What is the planning cycle? The elements of the planning process and their interrelationships – vision, analysis, design, plan, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Integrating design and policy. The role of science and evidence, communication, interprofessional team working and leadership.
8. Engaging communities and citizens
What is the relationship between spatial planning and politics? Concentration and diffusion of power in society and the implications for planning and design practice. Interests, stakeholders, participation, consultation and collaborative planning. Human rights.
9. Planning tools
What are the principal tools used in practice and how effective are they? The meaning of vision, strategy, plan and project. Land use regulation, sub-division and zoning. Creating and capturing financial values. Critical review and comparison of practice examples. Critical reflection on planning practice, the contribution of spatial planning to urbanism. The limitations of planning intervention.
10. Techniques for spatial planning
Methods for analysing and visualising spatial development patterns and trends, space syntax, GIS, decision support tools, visioning and scenario building. Evaluation methods: strategic environmental assessment, territorial impact analysis. Strategic decision-making – the analysis of interconnected decision areas.
11. Methodology and research methods
Alternative ways of understanding the world – design, social science and the natural (precise) sciences, and their epistemologies. How these are used in spatial planning and the tensions that arise. Research techniques and writing skills.
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