APL230 Planning Theory

The course introduces planning theory and different ways of thinking about planning (so-called: Theories of planning). It opens up questions of the societal roles of planning, the relations between planning and politics, who planning is thought to be for and what can be considered ‘good’ planning. These are all questions of relevance for how one can understand the planning profession, the role of planning professionals, the craftsmanship of planning and planning ethics in the light of various theories of planning.

The course covers leading planning thinkers and different schools of thought focusing on planning ideas shaped in Western democracies - charting the histography of planning through and practice throughout the 21st century. The course follows the trajectory of planning ideas through history, emphasising planning ideas and key debates of relevance today as the course attempts to integrate a spectrum of past and contemporary planning theories. In the course, local and international examples will exemplify theory and enhance understanding of theory in planning practice.

In APL230, students develop their disciplinary identity. They investigate the theoretical foundations of planning, which solidifies the field as an academic discipline. They gain an understanding of how the theoretical self-perception of planning has changed over time, with a strong focus on making these theoretical concepts practical and application-oriented. Therefore, APL230 serves as the foundation for both professional planning practice and academic education in planning.

By the end of this course, students who succeed will have the following knowledge of:

• … demonstrate a thorough understanding of planning theory literature by situating individual scholarly articles within the canon of planning literature.
• … distinguish between various schools of planning theory by recognising their fundamental characteristics.

By the end of this course, students who succeed will possess the following skills:

• … assess various planning theories by comparing and contrasting specific theories.
• … utilise a planning theory to address a contemporary practice scenario by developing a housing strategy and presenting it as a scientific poster.

By the end of this course, students who succeed will possess the following competence of:

• … examine the relevance of planning theory to planning practice overall and how it shapes their future professional careers through reflection in a 1,000-word synthesis.