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RDEV40840

Academic Year 2026/2027

Rural Placemaking (RDEV40840)

Subject:
Rural Development
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Agriculture & Food Science
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Karen Keaveney
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Placemaking is an integrated approach to the planning, design and management of urban spaces. This module focuses on the particular challenges for towns and villages as the economic engines of rural areas. Placemaking encompasses a multi-faceted and participative approach to the sustainable development of towns and villages and the wider countryside. The module will take a ‘people-centred' approach to the development of sustainable communities by examining how all the elements of places work together for rural vitality. These include the interaction between housing, retail, cultural, heritage, leisure, and employment uses, nature, quality public realm, community facilities, design and standards, and open space.

Placemaking is increasingly being recognised as the key to creating and supporting socio-economic eco-systems in both urban and rural areas, where people want to live and work, drawing on pools of skilled employees, a wide choice of housing and employment options, as well as a broad range of other ‘lifestyle’ opportunities, including leisure activities and a variety culture and entertainment options. A key challenge for placemaking exists in less developed urban centres and more peripheral, less accessible and rural places, from where many young people move away for educational purposes, but don’t return to live or work. These places are in need of a particular set of skills that can understand the needs of localities while planning for their sustainable future.

Challenges for rural towns, villages and open countryside include an ageing population due to out-migration, which has the potential to result in lost capacity to be self-sustaining over time. Successful places, large and small, urban and rural, in Ireland and internationally, show that through planning, people-centred approaches and carefully targeted policy-led investment, under-performing locations can become really successful places that people are drawn towards.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Develop an understanding of the theories and concepts of placemaking in a rural setting.
2. Understand the implementation of placemaking approaches through case studies and field work.
4. Develop an ability to apply the principles of placemaking in rural towns and villages, through an integrated and partnership approach.
5. Understand the limitations and challenges for placemaking in Ireland and internationally.
6. Develop and implement team and communication skills by significantly contributing to a practical team project.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will examine the key components of placemaking, while undertaking a practical project in a real world environment which will address the interaction of these components:
• Well-being and quality of life
• Nature & the environment
• Funding
• Economy
• Social Infrastructure
• Planning

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Proficient

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Not addressed

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

100
Autonomous Student Learning

56
Lectures

20
Field Trip/External Visits

24
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be delivered through the UCD Brightspace VLE system and will consist of the following learning activities:
Lectures (face-to-face).
Tutorials (face-to-face).
Group work.
Forum discussion on Brightspace.
Field work

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Students will develop a placemaking plan for a rural town throughout the Trimester, with a final group project submission. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
100
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

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

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 14:00 - 15:50
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