The module is designed to encourage students to understand and reflect upon the spatial aspects of planning and other areas of public policy. The module recognises that spatial planning is a contested term, but adopts a working definition initially of spatial planning as a distinctive type of activity undertaken primarily, but not exclusively, by the public sector to co-ordinate different sectors (e.g. transport, economic development, environmental protection) specifically to promote, restrict or modify the spatial impacts of policies. The module’s content will focus on spatial planning activities at the national and regional level, although local level activities will also be considered. In the course of the module, students will use GIS to analyse and interpret spatial data, assess different spatial planning instruments, and attempt to establish the spatial impacts of those instruments and other public policy actions.

The module aims: 

• To introduce students to the concept of spatial planning;
• To introduce students to different types of spatial planning instruments, including the methods employed and processes of their preparation.
• To encourage students to appreciate the spatial implications of various planning and public policy initiatives.
• To enable students to use GIS to interpret data in a spatial manner;

• demonstrate an understanding of the limitations of spatial planning instruments, methods and processes by the production of a critical assessment of a selected spatial planning instrument
• demonstrate skills in the analysis and presentation of spatial data and information using GIS by the production of a written assessment exploring site suitability, including appropriate graphic and illustrative material
• demonstrate an understanding of the differential spatial impacts of public policies by explaining the possible geographic impacts across a territory for a given policy

 The module is delivered through a series of sessions in each week of the semester. These include: 

• Weekly lectures on spatial planning and GIS, supplemented by key and wider readings;
• Occasional reading seminars providing opportunity for small group discussion of a selected reading;
• A series of practical workshop sessions on GIS based in the computing lab.

 Students will practise and develop a range of skills in the module, including: 

• Careful and critical reading of a plan, strategy or policy document;
• Applying a conceptual framework to the analysis of a plan or strategy;
• Producing a well-structured piece of writing;
• Assembling and managing spatial data
• Analysing spatial data
• Presenting spatial data in a mapped form

Essay - Exploration and evaluation of spatial planning concepts and practices (50%)

Report - GIS Analysis (50%)

Defining the practice of ‘spatial planning’
Key ideas and concepts in spatial planning
Maps, images and spatial metaphors: the ‘visual language’ of spatial planning
Spatial planning for the marine environment
GIS Mapping: Data Classification, Data Handling, Mapping and Geovisualisation
GIS Analysis: Spatial and Attribute Query, Spatial Processing, Spatial Data Analysis
GIS Application: Land Use, Site Selection, Site Suitability and Other Planning Applications
Case studies of spatial planning in different national contexts and at different scales

 

Reading lists for individual sessions will be distributed with lecture and workshop materials. The following is an indicative list of useful reading materials.

 References on spatial planning.

 Albrechts, L., Alden, J. and Rosa Pires, A. (Eds.). 2001. The changing institutional landscape of planning. Aldershot: Ashgate.

 Committee on Spatial development. 1999. ESDP, European spatial development perspective : towards balanced and sustainable development of the territory of the European Union. Luxembourg : Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

 Davoudi, S. and Strange, I. 2009. (eds) Conceptions of Space and Place in Strategic Spatial Planning. London: Routledge.

 Duhr, S. 2007. The Visual Language of Spatial Planning. London: Routledge.

 Faludi, A. and Waterhout, B. 2002. The making of the European spatial development perspective. No masterplan. London: Routledge.

 Haughton, G. and Counsell, D. 2004. Regions, spatialstrategies, and sustainable development. London: Routledge.

*Haughton, G, Counsell, D. and Vigar, G. 2009. The New Spatial Planning. RTPI Library Series. London: Routledge.

 **Healey, P. et al. 1997, Making Strategic Spatial Plans, London: UCL Press.

 Healey, P. 1997. Collaborative Planning. Shaping Places in Fragmented Societies. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

 Healey, P. 2007. Urban Complexity and Spatial Strategies. Towards a Relational Planning for our Times. London: Routledge.

 Nadin, V. 2000. Dictionary of European spatialplanning. Chichester: John Wiley.

 **Nadin, V. 2007. The emergence of the spatial planning approach in England. Planning Practice and Research 22(1) pp. 43-62. [see also the other papers in this spatial issue of the journal].

 Salet, W. and Faludi, A. (Eds). 2000. The revival of strategic spatialplanning. Proceedings of the colloquium, Amsterdam, 25-26 February 1999]. Amsterdam : R.Net.Aca.Art.Sci.

 Salet, W., Thornley, A. and Kreukels, A. (Eds.) 2003. Metropolitan governance and spatialplanning : comparative case studies of European city-regions. London : Spon Press, 2003

 *Tewdwr-Jones, M. and Allmendinger, P. 2006 (eds) Territory, Identity and Spatial Planning: spatial governance in a fragmented nation. London: Routledge.

 **Vigar, G., Healey, P. Hull, S. and Davoudi, S. 2000.Planning,governance and spatialstrategy in Britain : an institutionalist analysis. Basingstoke : Macmillan.

 References on GIS and Planning:

 Birken, M., Clarke, G., Clarke, M., Wilson, A. (1996) Intelligent GIS: Location decisions and strategic planning. GeoInformation International

Bracken,I. and Webster,C.J. (1989) Information Technology in Geography and Planning. London: Routledge.

Brewer, C.A. (2005) Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

 *Burrough,P.A, and McDonnell, R.A. (1998) Principles of Geographical Information Systems. Oxford University Press

Chrisman, N. (1997) Exploring Geographic Information Systems, Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.

 Department of the Environment (1987) Handling Geographic Informa­tion. The report of the Committee of Enquiry chaired by Lord Chorley, London: HMSO.

 Gilfoyle, I. & Thorpe, P. (2001): Geographic information management in local government. Taylor & Francis.

 Greene, R.P., and Pick, J.B. (2006) Exploring the Urban Community: A GIS Approach. Pearson/Prentice Hall,

 *Longley, P., and Clarke, G. (1995) (eds) GIS for Business and Service Planning GeoInformation International

 *Longley, P., Goodchild,M.F, Maguire,D.J., and Rhind,D.W. (1999) (eds.) Geographical Information Systems: Principles and Applications, New York – Chichester, Whiley.

 **Longley, P., Goodchild,M.F, Maguire,D.J., and Rhind,D.W. (2001) Geographical Information Systems and Science. Wiley & Sons

 Maguire,D.J. (1989) Computers in Geography, Harlow: Longman.

 *Martin,D. (1995) Geographic Information Systems and their socio­economic applications, London: Routledge. 2nd edition.

 Masser, I. Campbell, H. and Craglia, M. (1996) (eds): GIS diffusion : the adoption and use of geographical information systems in local government in Europe. London: Taylor & Francis.

 McDonald Jampoler , S. (1999): GIS in practice. Santa Fe, NM, Onword Press.

Peuquet,D.J. and Marble,D.F. (1990) Introductory Readings in Geographic Information Systems, London: Taylor and Francis.

 Pickles, J. (1995) (ed) Ground Truth: The Social Implications of Geographic Information Systems, The Guild Press

 *RTPI (1992) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - A Planners Introductory Guide. RTPI, London.

 *Scholten, H.J. and Stillwell, J.C.H. (1990) Geographical Information Systems for Urban and Regional Planning (especially chapters by Ottens and le Clercq). Kluwer Academic Publishers.

 Slocum, T.A., McMaster, R.B., Kessler, F.C., Howard, H.H. (2005) Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization, 2nd Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall.

 *Worboys, M. (1995) GIS: A Computing Perspective, London: Taylor and Francis.

 

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