URBPLAN 226 : Urban Planning Studio 4
Creative Arts and Industries
2024 Semester Two (1245) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- Enable you to understand the characteristics and complexity of wicked problems such as mitigating and adapting to climate change, improving environmental quality, changing environmental behaviours and creating resilient and sustainable cities
- Enable you to practise necessary skills in designing an evidence-based inquiry process that requires critical thinking, familiarity with translating science into practice, collaboration, teamwork and meaningful exchange of information across sectors within interdisciplinary planning practice
- Facilitate an inclusive learning space for you to create a problem-based learning/inquiry process to integrate, reflect on and apply your learning, and thereby formulate possible/feasible design solutions to begin tackling wicked problems
- Enable you to advance your curiosity, risk-taking and analyzing and visualizing skills including effective writing and communication that allow you to explore local or global issues in responding to wicked problems
- Facilitate real-world engagements while experimenting with practical and ethical considerations in planning focusing on the imagination of possible and desirable futures in cities
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and complexities of wicked problems and how these problems become challenging when planning and decision making in practice. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
- Demonstrate good critical perspectives of wicked problems and their interdisciplinary aspects in relation to working with urban planning practice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1 and 8.2)
- Develop confidence to be able to deal with wicked problems by acknowledging and engaging with their complexities (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
- Be able to develop a problem-based inquiry using local and global case studies to experiment with wicked problems selected from real-world scenarios (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.2 and 8.3)
- Develop evidence-based skills and analytical approaches to investigate wicked problems, document findings and undertake meaningful and ethically conscious decision making and design solutions to tackle those problems (Capability 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 5.3, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1 and 8.2)
- Be able to apply critical thinking, visualize information and engage in constructive dialogue with peers that shows creativity to formulate solutions to those problems (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 7.2)
- Evaluate how wicked problems are embedded into planning instruments and inform policy outcomes relevant to climate change, sustainability and resilient urban planning practice (Capability 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Communicate complex ideas and values using evidence in written and verbal forms with peers and other professionals (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Wicked problem design project - stage 1 | 40% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Wicked problem design project - stage 2 | 40% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Reflective journal | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
| Wicked problem design project - stage 1 | ||||||||||
| Wicked problem design project - stage 2 | ||||||||||
| Reflective journal | ||||||||||
- The minimum pass requirement for this course is 50%.
- The Urban Planning programme policy requires ALL elements of course assessment to be submitted by the due date/time, to pass this course.
- Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved before the due date unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Extension of Time Form for Coursework Submission will be available on the Canvas course page. Students are responsible for completing the required details of this form, including obtaining necessary academic approval.
- Any coursework not received by the due date and time, and for which no extension of time has been approved, will receive the grade ‘DNC’ (Did Not Complete). A DNC for any one piece of coursework will result in a DNC for the WHOLE course. A DNC for the course is a FAIL.
- In addition to formal assessment, students will be required to undertake individual and group peer assessments during the course. Individual peer evaluation feedback is to understand how individuals in each group have contributed to the group project. A rubric will be used to adjust the Group Mark to reflect peer assessment. Group peer assessments are to compare each other's work who participated in the course. You will be asked to assess their group work against criteria, give constructive feedback, and measure their reached standard.
- Peer assessment will not form part of final grading but mainly offers students opportunities to practise assessment skills, open up a dialogue about the purpose of assessment, and reflect on success criteria and what they mean.
Teaching & Learning Methods
Weekly two-hour lectures/guest lectures provide background, science and technical skills relevant to various stages of the wicked problem design project (stage 1 and stage 2). Following the brief introductory lecture at the beginning of the class, students will undertake weekly studio-based learning and research activities to develop skills. The purpose of the short lecture is to provide students with some guidance to understand wicked problems, complexities, principles, concepts, and applications. The brief lecture also ensures students are sufficiently equipped with relevant background disciplinary knowledge to complete their weekly studio-based activities. Students then engage with problem-based inquiry processes to demonstrate how they respond to wicked problems in real-world urban planning scenarios. Students should spend weekly self-learning, working on their project with allocated tutors, and completing each task demonstrating how well they have understood and can apply the concepts from the lectures and studio-based discussions to respond to those problems.
Workload Expectations
- This course of 30 credits is assigned a student workload of 300 hours (divided into hours for lectures, seminars, tutorials, critiques, workshops and other teaching events, as well as hours of independent research and study time undertaken by students outside the classroom).
- There are 70 hours of studio/seminars and 230 hours of self-directed study (~25 hours per week).
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
- Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials/studios to complete components of the course.
- Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials/studios will not be available as recordings.
- The course will not include live online events including group discussions/studio activities.
- The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
There is no set text book for this course. Several required readings plus recommended readings will be notified during the course.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Other Information
- Enrolled students are expected to attend studio classes in person for six hours per week to ensure the building of knowledge and the acquisition of practical skills through to complete wicked problem design projects. Most parts of the course and projects include group-based/collaboration activities with peers for research and practical work.
- You are required to attend each week's studio, and graded tasks or critiques require attendance to receive grades. All coursework is mandatory to pass this course.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.