The students will acquire knowledge about the main orientations within planning theory. As the course attempts to integrate the spectrum of past and contemporary planning theories, it also aims to underscore key questions that planners have formulated about "good planning," as well as their responses to such questions over time. The course further reflects on the relevance of theorising about planning, while discussing how planning theory, in its quest to continuously (re)define the profession, its core objectives and trajectories, is significant to planning practice as well as to how the roles of planning practitioners are being and could be shaped. The learning goals of the course are to make students:

• Understand the essence of planning theory while articulating rationales concerning how and why planning theory is relevant to practice.
• Become aware of the historical origins and contexts, aims and values of planning theories.
• Understand the evolution of and rationales behind different theories of planning over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.
• Strengthen their competences as regards the understanding and interpretation of different theories of planning in relation to addressing contemporary urban problems.
• Identify and elucidate ongoing discussions and individual positions concerning contemporary issues, as a means to frame and solve problems related to academic planning research and professional practice.

300 hours allocated for lectures, seminars, required reading, written course papers and discussions.

The planning theories are presented thorugh lectures. These will be discussed in groups and it is expected that the students actively participates in the discussions.