Introduction Spatial Planning

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

Cities are formed by social, spatial, political, economic and environmental dynamics, but also by planning interventions. The style, method, and tradition of planning interventions have changed over time. In this course, students gain insight into the change from modernist top-down and design-oriented planning approaches to the more bottom-up, society-oriented approaches of today. Second, students are introduced to the field of work of planning and the role of planners in policy-making from a broader urban governance perspective. Third, students learn about contemporary planning approaches and theories, in particular in regard to planning for sustainable and just cities. The following questions are central to this course:

1) What is planning?

2) Who are planners?

3) What do planners do?

Study materials

Literature

• Each lecture has two articles (or book chapters) as required reading.

   

  Many articles are published in the following book, which can be bought for €35 or read online via the university library:

  Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2016). Readings in Planning Theory. (4th edition) John Wiley & Sons.

   

  Lecture 1: Introduction to the planning discipline

  Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J.(2016) Introduction. The structures and debates of planning theory. In: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons.

  Marcuse, P. (2011). The three historic currents of city planning. Chapter 6 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons.

   

  Lecture 2: Arguments for and against planning
  

  Healey, P. (2011) The Planning Project. Chapter 7 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons.

  Klosterman, R. E. (1985). Arguments for and against planning. Chapter 9 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons. 

   

  Lecture 3: City visions
  

  Fishman, R. (1982). Urban utopias in the twentieth Century: Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Le Corbusier. Chapter 1 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons.

  Jacobs, J. (1961) The death and life of great American cities. Chapter 4 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFillippis, J. (Eds.) (2015) Readings in Planning Theory . John Wiley & Sons.

   

  Lecture 4: Sustainable spatial planning
  

  Campbell, S. (1996). Green cities, growing cities, just cities?: Urban planning and the contradictions of sustainable development. Chapter 11 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons. 

  Næss, P. (2023). Urban sustainability responsibilities of the European planning profession in the next decades. European Planning Studies, 1-12.

   

  Lecture 5: Social justice

  Fainstein, S. (2013). Spatial Justice & Planning. Chapter 13 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons. 

  Sandercock, L. (2009). Towards a Cosmopolitan Urbanism: From theory to practice. Chapter 20 in: Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (Eds.). (2015). Readings in Planning Theory. John Wiley & Sons. 

   

  Lecture 6: The Dutch planning system
  

  Korthals Altes, W. K. (2016). Planning reform beyond planning: the debate on an integrated Environment and Planning Act in the Netherlands. Planning Practice & Research, 31(4), 420-434.

  Zonneveld & Evers (2014) Dutch national spatial planning at the end of an era. Chapter 4 in: Reimer et al (2014) Spatial Planning Systems and Practices in Europe: A Comparative Perspective on Continuity and Change. Available online via the University library.

Syllabus

• Please see the full course outline published at the Canvas page

Objectives

• Explain the spatial dimension of sustainability challenges related to for instance renewable energy production, climate adaptation, and the circular economy.
• Explain the discipline of spatial planning and its historical development.
• Analyse different roles and instruments of the spatial planner in guiding sustainable spatial development.
• Critically reflect on the role of planners in guiding sustainable spatial developments.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Self-study

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• Participation in fieldwork is compulsory and cannot be replaced by assignments or other courses.
• In case of practical sessions, the student is obliged to attend at least of 90% of the sessions and to prepare himself adequately, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. In case the student attends less than 90%, the practical sessions should be redone entirely.
• In case of tutorials/seminars with assignments, the student is obliged to attend at least 7 out of 8 seminars and to prepare thoroughly for these meetings, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. If the course has more than 8 seminars, the student can miss up to 1 extra meeting for every (part of) 8 tutorials/seminars. If the students attends less than the mandatory tutorials/seminars, the course cannot be completed.

Additional requirements for this course:

Students are obliged to attend the three working groups.

Each working group comes with a mandatory preparatory assignment. This preparatory assignment must be submitted on Canvas on Friday at 13.00 preceding the working group. If no preparatory assignment is submitted, students are not allowed to attend the working group.

If you have missed a working group, students need to do an additional assignment. This assignment needs to be submitted before Friday October 13 2023 17.00.

Students that have missed one or more working groups cannot participate in the final exam.

Assessment

The exam will consist of 4 open questions covering the the lectures, the assigned readings, and the working groups.

Please note that students can only participate in the exam if they have attended the three working groups.

Assessment diagram

Inspection of assessed work

The course coordinator will plan an inspection moment of the exam for those interested, one week after the results of the exam are announced. This moment will be communicated via Canvas.

Assignments

Part of the three working groups are preparatory assignments that help to familiarize students with the course content and reading materials. The assignments are mandatory to get access to the working groups. They are not only useful for the working group itself, but also for practicing the type of questions students can expect at the exam. Students will receive feedback on preparatory assignment 2.

During the working groups, students will often work in small groups on small assignments. The assignments will not be graded, but active participation is expected.

Students that have missed one of the working groups need to do an additional assignment.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

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Last year's student feedback

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. Jannes Willems

Staff

• Max Keijzer, MSc.