Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Planners work with wide range of communities and need to understand and address their diverse range of concerns. Community planning provides participatory processes to help you integrate the interests of many groups in inclusive plans and policies. This unit explores the practices and theories of community planning with particular focus on community involvement, consultation and conflict resolution

Aims

The course aims to impart a coherent theoretical framework to underpin practical methods for community planning that can be applied in a wide range of situations and scales.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will be able to:

1.Apply theoretical knowledge of the human and social environments and processes to effective and integrated community planning;
2.Understand and interpret key community planning principles and problems at a wide range of scales;
3.Understand and apply a wide range of communication techniques involving responsiveness, interaction, public participation and conflict resolution;
4.Demonstrate an effective understanding of the political, legal and institutional contexts of community planning that will form the basis for life long learning and relevance.

Content

Part One: Conceptual overview
Introduction to Community Planning: definition and relation to other forms of planning and to community development, community organization and community action; outline of the principles and practice of community planning. People, places, power and policy: the importance of place to people, the issues of power and participation in community planning processes, and the linkages between community planning processes and policy.

Part Two: Methods
Community Planning techniques: problem solving and strengths-based approaches, community engagement, cultural planning, place planning & design, social impact assessment, indigenous perspectives and involvement

Part Three: Community Planning Issues and Case Examples
Housing as a community planning issues; housing needs & tenure; demand factors and organizational response to supply. Community Renewal and Urban Renewal as community planning. Communities and change: urban social movements, community planning in practice.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode:
Hours per week: 3
Lecture: 1.5
Tutorial/ Prac: 1.5

Learning approaches include the following:
- Problem based learning
- Individual learning
- Team based learning
- Reflection
- Exposition & Presentation

This unit is taught through a combination of lectures, workshops, audio-visuals and participatory techniques that can be later applied within community planning practice. Guest lectures will also involve various practitioners engaged in community planning practice.

Assessment

QUT's Assessment Policy is located at MOPP C/5.1.Weekly workshops and student presentations on draft assignment topics provide opportunities for feedback on developing knowledge and capacity.

Assessment name: Research Paper
Description: Using sources from the reading list as a starting point, you will describe the features of communities that are high in social capital and other community strengths and/or that confront major community problems. Discuss planning roles in creating strong communities with high levels of social capital, or highlight deficiencies in those where they are absent.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 4
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Case Study
Description: Working individually or in teams, you will identify a specific community issue for an urban or rural community of your choice and describe ways urban and regional planning would contribute towards building community strengths/social capital across a wide range of fields of planning activities for that community.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 14

Assessment name: Discussion Forum
Description: You participate in discussion of issues arising in lectures and contribute to related workshops constituting the second half of a number of contact sessions.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Progressively

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Recommended Reading:
1. Hamdi N and Goethurt R. (1997) Action Planning for Cities: A guide for community practice Wiley New York.
2. Heywood, P. Crane P. Egginton A and Gleeson J. (1998) Out and About: In or Out? Better Outcomes for Young People's Use of Open Space Brisbane, Brisbane City Council.
3. Ife J (2002) Community Development, Pearson Education Australia Pty Limited.
4. Jamrozik, A. and Graycar A. (1993) How Australians Live Melbourne Hutchinson.
5. Menzies C et al (1996) Social Planning Guidelines Local Government Association of Queensland, Brisbane.
6. Putnam R (1993) Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy Princeton University Press Princeton

Risk assessment statement

This unit may involve individual or instructor-led site visits. You must have attended a construction safety induction session and have a safety induction card. The school provides a safety induction course in the first week of students' first semester introducing you to the relevant workplace health and safety requirements of Queensland construction sites.

Additional Costs:
Site visits to the study area will involve you in some travel expenses. You should avoid excessive expenditure on presentation materials.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 04-Jun-2012