New in 2011

Exit Points

• Graduate Certificate in Urban & Regional Planning
• Graduate Diploma in Urban & Regional Planning

Further Study

• Professional Doctorate in Public Administration

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a degree or an award that, in the opinion of the University's Admissions Committee, is the equivalent of a three-year degree conferred by a tertiary institution recognised by the Board.

Course Requirements

(a) Required (30 credit points) as follows:

• 8640 Foundations of Urban and Regional Planning G
• 6270 Research Methods PG
• 6234 Economics for Managers G
• 8639 Environmental Planning and Assessment G
• 8641 Infrastructure Planning and Delivery PG
• 8638 Contemporary Planning Issues PG
• 7908 Environmental and Planning Law G
• 8643 Urban Design and Place Making PG
• 6275 Statistical Analysis and Decision Making G
• 8642 Planning Report PG

(b) Restricted choice (18 credit points) as follows:

Six units chosen from the following lists.  At least three of these units must be at PG level.

At least one of the following units:

• 8313 Design Research Methods PG
• 8411 History of Australian Architecture PG
• 7631 Architecture History and Theory PG
• 8262 Defining Moments in Australian Design PG
• 8312 Collaborative Studio PG

At least two of the following units:

• 8556 Public Administration G
• 6260 Managing Government Finance G
• 6268 Public Policy PG
• 8558 Public Admin at the Interface PG
• 6255 Management Ethics PG
• 6426 Governance in Business and Government PG

Units from the following list to total 18cp.  Students are advised that not all units will run every year:

• 8646 Planning for Cities and Climate Change G
• 8645 Indigenous Participatory Planning  G
• 8644 Housing Policy and Change G
• 8647 Coastal Planning G
• 8648 Planning for Healthy Cities G
• 8219 GIS Introduction G
• 8218 GIS Data Sources and Data Acquisition G
• 8081 GIS Geo-Database Mgmt Systems G
• 8091 GIS Spatial Statistics G
• 8085 GIS Open GI Infrastructures G
• 8079 GIS Analysis G
• 8217 GIS Data Modelling and Data Structures G
• 8216 GIS Visualisation and Cartography G
• 8086 GIS Organisation & Project Management G
• 8032 Ecology and River Function G
• 8029 Australian Waterways G

Typical Course Structure

Unit Overviews - Core Units

8640 Foundations of Urban and Regional Planning G: This interdisciplinary unit investigates how urban and regional planning has developed in Australia in response to prevailing and changing economic and political situations. The role of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in developing topic based and geographic based urban and regional plans will be critically analysed. The different techniques for developing planning models at regional and State scale will be examined. The recognition of   the challenges of community engagement at regional and citywide scale will be explored. In comparison, the role and practice of regional planning in international settings will be reviewed.

8641 Infrastructure Planning & Delivery PG: This unit introduces planning of infrastructure, for physical and technical structures or social policies and services. Important infrastructure planning issues to be covered include transport, water, sewers, power grids, telecommunications, energy, safety and security, housing, education and health and social services. Students will be taught the functional systems of infrastructure planning as well as economic, social and environmental externalities. This unit will particularly highlight the relationship between transport planning and land use and urban form. This unit will also cover the issues of infrastructure provision, including investment, maintenance, and management. It will introduce creative financing for infrastructure provision given its nature of public goods and services. Different types of Public Private Partnership (PPP) of infrastructure provision in Australia and overseas will be discussed to understand current debates and practices.

8638 Contemporary Planning Issues PG: This subject will stimulate discussion on planning issues from government and community perspectives.  It is designed to generate understanding as to how the skills of professional planners may contribute to social change. The unit will examine the coverage of planning and related topics such as housing, transport and the environment in contemporary media. The extent to which governments use planning and planning decision making as levers in economic and social development will be compared in  Australian and  international settings.

8639 Environmental Planning and Assessment G: This subject provides an integrative framework for environmental planning, environmental assessment, decision-making and management. The subject context is in sustainable management of water, land and soil resources, biodiversity conservation and cultural heritage management.

8643 Urban Design and Place Making PG: This unit introduces the many dimensions of community planning: political, economic, social, cultural and environmental. Starting from fundamental theories of community planning, this unit covers a diversity of community issues, including social policies, affordable housing, community participation, collaborative planning, local economic development, cultural heritage, and environmental concerns. Historical evolution, contemporary development, and future direction of community planning in Australia will be traced, examined, and envisioned in parallel with the international context. This unit particularly highlights the concept and practice of place making in community planning, i.e. achievement of a sense of place in a community, which is more than a space in physical sense, but incorporates the overall well being of people. New Urbanism will be taught as a major tool in community planning and place making.

8642 Planning Report PG: The aim of this course is to provide you with skills in the application of research skills to an urban and regional planning issue. You will work individually on a research topic to be chosen in consultation with the unit coordinator. You will be required to write and present a 4000 word planning report. An academic staff member of the urban and regional planning discipline will supervise each student. The unit will be structured to assist you in selecting and developing an appropriate research topic, research methodologies and in the gathering of information and resources.

6270 Research Methods PG: The subject introduces students to the meaning of 'theory', its links with methodology via techniques of research and distinctions between research and policy action. The aim is to allow students to formulate a topic for research by thesis. Specific topics will include the writing of a thesis, the logics of social investigation, forms of explanation including causality, correlation and 'verstehen'. There is also a non-mathematical introduction to statistical concepts sufficient to enable critical literature review. An overview of qualitative research, its techniques and their strengths and limitations is also provided.

6234 Economics for Managers G: The content of this subject is especially designed for graduate students and provides an examination of economic principles and theories essential to an understanding of current economic problems and economic policy analysis. The syllabus includes both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The essentials of microeconomics are examined including the theory of market systems and the price mechanism, consumer demand theory, resource allocation and the theory of the firm concentrating on production and cost analysis principles. The macroeconomics component examines the inter-relationship between the main economic variables. Microeconomic reform and fiscal and monetary policy measures are examined and related to Australia 's economic problems of unemployment, inflation and slow economic growth.

7908 Environmental and Planning Law G: Students who complete the unit  will understand at an advanced level: the nature and sources of the law generally, and specifically the law relating to environmental protection and land use planning, as well as its administration and interpretation; constitutional law, administrative law, law of property and law of torts as they relate to environmental protection; the frameworks within which environmental legislation operates at the Local, State, National and International levels; the operation of environmental law and the legal obligations of citizens in regard to environmental matters.

6275 Statistical Analysis & Decision Making G: This subject is intended mainly for students in business administration and management science and deals with the ways in which statistical techniques can be used to analyse quantitative information in those disciplines. Topics include populations and samples; the presentation and interpretation of data; measures of central tendency and variability; index numbers; simple linear regression and correlation; basic time series; basic probability; the binomial, Poisson and normal distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing. Analyses will use Microsoft Excel.

Unit Overviews - Restricted Choice

8647 Coastal Planning G: Coastal planning involves examining the social, economic and environmental considerations that affect the Australian coastal zone. Population growth, demographic change, infrastructure demands and climate change are key issues that will be discussed in the unit.  Community engagement in that process of coastal planning will also be addressed. The theory of integrated coastal management together with leading practice in implementation will be further explored. The catchment to coast to marine continuum will underpin the unit learning outcomes.

8644 Housing Policy and Change G: The subject will examine current approaches to  housing policy  in Australia

8645 Indigenous Participatory Planning G: The subject will examine current practice and understanding as to effective participatory planning with Indigenous Australia.

8646 Planning for Cities and Climate Change G: The subject will examine current practices and understanding on how the planning and design of Australian cities and regions can respond to the challenge of climate change.  A focus will be on climate change scenarios and how urban and regional planning can contribute to mitigation and adaptation responses. It will examine the role of research and data collection, gathering relevant information on climate change projections, impacts, vulnerability and adaptation options.

8648 Planning for Healthy Cities G:

Students will examine the concept, research and international practices regarding Healthy Cities around the themes of:

• clean, safe environments of a high quality (including housing quality)
• stable and sustainable ecosystems
• strong, mutually supportive and non-exploitative communities
• participation by the citizens over the decisions affecting their lives, health and well-being
• the meeting of basic needs for the entire city's people
• access by the people to a wide variety of contact, interaction and communication
• diverse, vital and innovative economy
• the encouragement of connectedness with cultural heritage
• an urban form that is compatible with and enhances the preceding characteristics
• high health status (high levels of positive health and low levels of disease).

8313 Design Research Methods PG: This interdisciplinary unit will examine methods, approaches, ideas and practices utilised in design and architecture and provide an understanding of their limitations. Research methods for different projects will be examined. The unit will enhance students' competence in selecting appropriate research methods for investigating the social world, objects and environments. Students will be exposed to the field of design research through lectures and seminars that will focus on theory, historical references and case studies drawn from relevant design disciplines.

8411 History of Australian Architecture PG: The unit begins with the study of structures of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples. A survey of building and architecture responses to Australian social and environmental conditions, the architecture of Federation and reactions to industrialisation, the competition to design a national capital in Canberra, the influence of Asian and European architecture, the gradual acceptance of the modernist idiom and the influence of other movements in architecture at the end of the twentieth century are reviewed. Case studies of contemporary architecture are set in the context of this local and international history and the pursuit of an Australian identity.  Assessment will include reviews of relevant writings that will set the context for understanding the genesis of contemporary Australian architecture.

7631 Architecture History and Theory PG: This unit will develop particular themes from the history of architecture that explore the ways contemporary architecture either in Australia or in other places relates to architectures disciplinary history.

8262 Defining Moments in Australian Design PG: This interdisciplinary unit investigates the way in which Australian design has responded to the diversity of our nation, our indigenous and non-indigenous story and response to place, and how design has demonstrated our cultural values, inventiveness and talent. By identifying "defining moments" in Australian design, students will explore the connections between design and quality of life, the environment and our heritage, social expectations and perceptions of our identity. Working with and through the Gallery of Australian Design, students will develop exhibition curatorial content using skills in history, theory, technology and design acquired in their various design disciplines. The Gallery will be a research resource providing a forum for exploration of design history, theory and product. Students also have the opportunity of a unique mentoring relationship with the National Museum of Australia and national design institutes.

8312 Collaborative Studio PG: This unit explores the interactions between different domains of thought and expertise and the role of design in producing fresh dialogue and new knowledge. It examines the ways in which collaboration can be practised and enhanced to manage varied and complex social and environmental design challenges and opportunities. Themes covered include the theories of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, hybridization and emergent knowledge production in design, as well as leadership and innovation in collaborative and experimental environments. Students may be expected to undertake one or more collaborative projects in order to fuse theory with practice.

8556 Public Administration G: This is a compulsory subject in the MPA that introduces students to the discipline of public administration. It examines the role of the state and of the public sector and introduces some of the key issues with which governments and academics have been dealing in the past 20 years or so when traditional models of public administration have been challenged. While the emphasis is on Australian developments, they are represented in such a way that they may be seen as part of more general re-design processes in public administrative systems. The question of initiating and managing change will be considered in relation to a number of countries' reform programs.The content will reflect current issues, and addresses managerial change, political-bureaucratic relationships, ethics and accountability, and a range of other matters arising out of the challenges of public sector change associated with current reforms of public sectors across the world.

6260 Managing Government Finance G: This subject is primarily concerned with financial and economic management in the public sector, designed for general managers rather than financial management specialists in government. It deals with the economic role of government in the economy, costing of government programs, pricing public goods and decision making concerning fiscal issues.

6268 Public Policy PG: Topics covered include: policy design; the role of values in policy making; the management of policy development and the implications for evaluation of managerial change.  Extended case studies are used to develop and exemplify concepts, techniques and approaches.

8558 Public Admin at the Interface PG: In the past several decades, governments in Australia and some overseas, have reconfigured their public sectors to accommodate new means of service delivery involving greater use of private sector organisations. As a result, the interface between the public and private sectors has become more permeable raising important issues for public administration. This subject focuses on those changes through examining contemporary approaches to government, in particular, concepts such as privatisation, outsourcing, public-private partnerships, government-business relations and public enterprise. It will be taught in intensive delivery mode and make significant use of workshops, seminars, syndicate groups and case study approaches.

6255 Management Ethics PG: This subject provides students with an understanding of the major ethical theories of teleology and deontology and exposes them to the ethical issues that arise within the functional areas of business and management.  The subject provides the opportunity to explore a wide range of contemporary case materials in which managers try to reconcile the demands of expediency and the demands of principles.  The subject aims to assist students to acquire and develop critical thinking skills required for the successful practice of business within the framework of societal values.  These skills include the ability to perceive the ethical implications of a situation, engage in sound moral reasoning and develop practical problem solving strategies.  Topics include:  ethical theory, corporate social responsibility, international business and global ethics, whistleblowing, affirmative action, privacy, marketing, product safety, accounting & finance and environmental protection.

6426 Governance in Business and Government PG: Governance is about ensuring that public and private organisations have appropriate structures, processes and systems in place to support effective decision-making. The field is influenced by ongoing changes in legal and regulatory frameworks, machinery of government, institutional cultures, community expectations, government requirements and shareholder expectations. A particular focus is the similarities and differences between corporate governance in private and public sector environments. Because governance is integral to organisational leadership and decision-making, this subject lends itself to analysis of evolving issues, problems and solutions. This subject therefore consists of a series of modules organised around a postgraduate colloquium involving invited eminent speakers who will address topics in the light of their own experience.

8219 GIS Introduction G: This unit is about GIS and the role of geography. The spatial focus is emphasised as it is the major glue that 'ties' things together and the processes involved in spatial thinking.aAfter distinguishing some 'classic' geographic problems, the unit presents the breadth and depth of real-world GIS implementations. GIS as a tool and as a science is debated and methods for selecting the best tools for a given task examined. The unit also discusses the role of Automated Mapping / Facilities Management (Am/FM), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Remote Sensing and Database Management Systems (DBMS) in relation to GIS. Together these lead to an appreciation of Enterprise GIS which integrates the full-blown organisational use of GIS and possible future roles of GI.

8218 GIS Data Sources and Data Acquisition G: This unit is designed to provide an overview of geo-metric techniques as a foundation of data acquisition. Among the first of these is a presentation of terrestrial surveying and techniques for direct measurement on the earth's surface as distinguished from celestial surveying using satellite positioning systems. The next topic is the acquisition of elevation data in terms of basic principles and the principles of photogrammetric measurements - stereo photogrammetry, orthophotos, and general remote sensing imagery. A discussion of the acquisition and processing of raster data is supplemented by an introduction to vector digitising, georeferencing and issues related to data quality and metadata. Legal aspects and ethical issues are also presented in the use of GI and data.

8081 GIS Geo-Database Mgmt Systems G: Data management and organisation are integral to any GIS enterprise. Without databases and their management and with continual updating of data dictionaries and metadata, any GIS would fall over in disarray and failure. While most GIS software packages would provide the functionality to control data and databases through a DBMS there still needs to be understanding, control and management. This unit addresses issues of data organisation processes including the creation and updating of data dictionaries and metadata. Included in the discussion are elements of data modelling and the use of SQL spatial query languages and DBMS architecture.

8091 GIS Spatial Statistics G: Space and statistics go hand in hand in a digital environment. As most spatial data are in digital form including those from surveying work, GPS and remote sensing, it is imperative to recognise the importance of positional error and its analysis. This unit provides the foundations of spatial description and analysis not only in terms of descriptive spatial statistics but also in regard to exploratory spatial data analysis. Geostatistics is a further area of importance especially in regards to spatial autocorrelation, point pattern analysis, cluster analysis. Various methods and their functionalities in these forms of analyses are described and presented.

8085 GIS Open GI Infrastructures G: Open GIS and interoperability have arisen from an analysis of traditional stovepipe architectures in use in GIS and the resulting quest for standardisation. This unit provides an overview of the history of standards development and evolution and progress to date. The Open GIS Consortium (OGC) as the prime mover has provided common georeferencing models with specifications for the GIS community. Included in the progress is the use of Geography Markup Language (GML) as the lingua franqua of geography based on XML. Further developments include interactive maps to the present web map services applications. In all these an appreciation of metadata and catalogue services is crucial. More recently spatial data infrastructures (SDI) feature prominently in policy and governmental spheres.

8079 GIS Analysis G: This unit provides information about the various tools that equip the user with basic GIS analytical functionalities. These elementary tools represent the stepping stones to more complex analysis and querying. Such tools are ideal for exploratory data analysis which includes a simple initial inspection of the data but also includes the selection of specific information or the development of ideas about the information being examined that may lead to the use of further GIS tools or other analysis. In undertaking these studies, new information is created the result of combining existing datasets and producing synthetic data. Map algebra is integral to these exercises as are decisions about methods of spatial selection and aggregation, distance based analysis, network analysis, and spatial interpolation.

8217 GIS Data Modelling and Data Structures G: Modelling the real-world and identifying spatial objects is first introduced in this unit in order to understand general principles and an object-based view of the world. How the real-world is modelled is discussed in theoretical and practical terms including an identification of spatial objects and understanding geographical primitives. Understanding spatial databases is contingent upon an appreciation of how various geographical features are represented - vectors, polygons, networks and linear features. The unit also presents an introduction to thematic raster representation in terms of raster surfaces, TINs, and temporal data. Scale and resolution issues are also presented here.

8216 GIS Visualisation and Cartography G: This unit is about map design and visualisation from a GIS point of view. A review of some history of cartography is undertaken before exploring cartographic design issues including cartographic abstraction and modelling. Cartographic representation in terms of colour schemes, visual communication, classification, map symbology are presented. Visualisations from surfaces to perspectives are introduced as are design issues including annotations, layouts, online maps and dynamic visualisations.

8086 GIS Organisation & Project Management G: This unit is about GIS organisation and project management. The unit draws attention to the advantages of organising and managing big jobs as projects. Within this unit students are shown techniques to differentiate between custodial GIS as against GIS projects. The unit also introduces methods for organising GIS projects and the diverse range of approaches available to users such as strategic planning and project planning. Other topics include organising a project, scheduling tasks and assigning resources, the use of the logical framework approach, budgeting in time and resources. A key topic presented is the role and responsibilities of the main players the general public, users and keepers. An understanding of the organisational model as applied to GIS in organisations is crucial to sustainability, procurement and quality management. Some legal aspects of GIS use are also discussed. GIS is a leading innovation in a knowledge-based economy.

8032 Ecology and River Function G: This unit is about GIS organisation and project management. The unit draws attention to the advantages of organising and managing big jobs as projects. Within this unit students are shown techniques to differentiate between custodial GIS as against GIS projects. The unit also introduces methods for organising GIS projects and the diverse range of approaches available to users such as strategic planning and project planning. Other topics include organising a project, scheduling tasks and assigning resources, the use of the logical framework approach, budgeting in time and resources. A key topic presented is the role and responsibilities of the main players the general public, users and keepers. An understanding of the organisational model as applied to GIS in organisations is crucial to sustainability, procurement and quality management. Some legal aspects of GIS use are also discussed. GIS is a leading innovation in a knowledge-based economy.

8029 Australian Waterways G: This unit aims to provide an understanding of the functioning of water systems within the framework of total catchment interactions. It will develop the ability in the student to assess the effects of both water and catchment based management decisions. The subject is divided into sections on features of lakes, rivers and estuaries, river health; methods for physical, chemical and biological assessments and a framework for integrating these with practical examples.

Note: Information provided as a guide only. Consult the UC Handbook for the year of commencement for official course rules. Units are not offered in all semesters.