On successful completion of the module you should be able to:

1. Critically assess the governance and public policy context for planning practice;
2. Understand the political dimensions of planning practice and how these relates to how the State is conceptualised;
3. Describe the main administrative instruments of development planning and development management, and understand how they relate to each other through policy implementation and the outcomes of development activity;
4. Evaluate the role of planning policy and practice in addressing sustainable development goals and climate action;
5. Explain the concept of professionalism within planning and interpret the relationships between the planner with politicians and the public;
6. To critically appraise and reflect on the role of the planning practitioner within the democratic and policy-making process;
7. To develop self-directed learning skills.

The module is structured into 4 Learning Units, with each unit comprising webinars, workshops, structured reading and case study examples.

LEARNING UNIT 1 – NATURE & PURPOSE OF PLANNING: explores the emergence of planning as an area of public policy and professional practice. This will explore the rationale for planning interventions and the emergence of different planning traditions across the globe. We will also examine the ‘politics of planning’ – i.e. the dimensions of planning that are contested and subject to political struggle and conflicts – and how this relates to planning theory.

LEARNING UNIT 2 – DESIGNING POLICY: examines the wider policy-making process, the role of the State, and will evaluate different methods of designing policy applied to complex environmental problems. Three broad approaches to designing policy will be reviewed and evaluated: (1) leave it to the experts; (2) leave it to the markets; and (2) leave it to the people. These methods will be applied to a current environmental challenge.

LEARNING UNIT 3 – INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS: critically examines the key agencies and policy toolkits for planning practice, examined within the context of the Irish planning system. We will explore the key agencies or institutions involved in the planning process before going on to evaluate the hierarchy of spatial plans in Ireland and how plans are implemented through development management and related policy toolkits. We will also examine the emerging practice around Planning for Climate Action.

LEARNING UNIT 4 – PLANNING & THE PUBLIC: examines how planning relates to spatial or environmental outcomes and reflect on the ethical dimensions of planning practice. Planning practice involves value judgements, professional ethics and the distribution of major resources such as land and environmental quality. We will explore the concept of environmental justice and how this relates to planning practice. We will critically appraise how planners can effectively engage with the public through participatory planning practice, outlining the rationale and also techniques for public engagement. Finally, we will explore concepts relating to professionalism and ethics in planning practice, including professional codes of conduct.

Not applicable to this module.

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

Feedback prior to submission on assignment plan/structure and reading Post assessment feedback, written to individual students