On the successful completion of the course, you should be able to:

1. Critically appraise concepts and theories surrounding rural and landscape change;
2. Demonstrate an ability to apply landscape concepts to planning and design practice;
3. Describe and explain planning approaches to managing rural settlement change;
4. Critically reflect on the role of planning in rural settlement management and landscape conservation.

The module is structured into 5 Learning Units, with each unit delivered through a blended learning approach.

Learning Unit 1 – Rural Settlement
This unit will examine socio-spatial dimensions of rural change and relate these to demographic tends and rural housing demands. This will include examining key concepts in explaining rural social and housing change and rural residential mobilities and preferences. This unit will then examine how planners and designers respond to these changes through policy, practice and design. Therefore, we will evaluate alternative approaches to planning rural settlements, development management and design practice.

Learning Unit 2 – Landscape Design & Planning
This unit will examine the drivers of landscape change in Europe and Ireland, both historically and in the contemporary countryside. Specifically, we will examine how agricultural practices have framed both continuity and change and we will examine new demands on rural landscapes, such as low carbon energy infrastructure. The unit will then examine how ‘landscape’ is conceived in policy and practice, drawing on the European Landscape Convention to examine landscape protection, conservation, management and design principles. A key focus of this unit will be understanding the purpose and process for preparing Landscape Character Assessments

Learning Unit 3 – Sustainable Land Use Management & Green Infrastructure
Building on Learning Unit 2, this unit further explores issues around land use and landscape management. Specifically, we will focus on traditional planning approaches towards countryside management and how these have been reconceptualised in the 21st Century. In this context, we will explore the ecosystem approach to landscape management and the advancement of green infrastructure as a key planning and design tool at the landscape scale.

Learning Unit 4 - Heritage
This unit will explore the importance of ‘heritage’ (natural, landscape and built environment) in planning for rural places. We will examine shifting ideas of heritage management and how heritage is commodified within rural economic development policy. Therefore, this unit will explore best practice for heritage management and will examine how we can ‘make use’ of heritage in local regeneration.

Learning Unit 5 – Application
In this final unit, we will apply the previous learning units into a practical application, linked to the overall module assessment. This will involve an individual assignment, where you will be tasked with preparing ONE of the following to a selected case study location:
1. Develop a rural settlement strategy or design guidance for rural village and its hinterland;
2. Prepare a Landscape Character Assessment for a sensitive landscape;
3. Develop a Green Infrastructure strategy for a river corridor;
4. Prepare heritage management guidelines or a heritage-led local regeneration strategy for a rural village.
You will be guided through this unit through interactive support from the module lecturers in seminars (or webinars). Please note, that a field-trip to the study location is planned. However, if this is not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions, then we will undertake a virtual study tour.

Not applicable to this module.

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

Essay Individual feedback to students after submission of essay (during trimester) Group project: group class feedback week 10Group Project: feedback to group on draft group submission prior to final submission Week 12