REMP31: Development Planning Projects

Module code: REMP31

Module provider: Real Estate and Planning; Henley Business School

Credits: 30

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Christopher Maidment, email: c.s.maidment@henley.reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module integrates a range of knowledge and skills important for practicing planners and puts them into practice through group project study exercises, reports and presentations.

This module provides a practical yet reflective set of skills-based projects and exercises of varying length and foci. The module integrates a range of knowledge and skills important for professional practice, through group study and analysis, reports, presentations and role-play. Some of the project work is oriented around field visits, whilst other tasks focus on planning and development processes and sites (for example, deliberating over planning proposals, visioning, contesting proposals, policy formulation, site planning and/or project funding). The module integrates practical skills with key planning and development concepts, and creative thinking abilities.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

• understand the operation of the development management/control system, including researching and analysing the role of strategic and local planning policies;
• outline the main components of the site planning process (including the site plan for a development scheme);
• evaluate a development scheme and suggest alternatives;
• undertake a visioning exercise, adopting different stakeholder perspectives to produce a strategy;
• understand and apply the principles and practices of negotiation;
• work in a group to organise, prepare and present a report in a multi-stakeholder environment;
• assess planning practice from a comparative perspective and reflect on UK practices.

Module content

The module will involve at least three projects of different lengths. The details of each will vary from year to year to reflect the changing nature of planning practice and/or staff availability. Each project carries its own detailed brief and assessment brief. These cover:

• Negotiated Development Project - preparation and presentation of a case for or against development either for a private client or a local authority, including the assimilation of negotiation and policy development skills (10 credits);

• Site Planning Project - a site planning and design exercise in an urban context (15 credits); 

• European Field Trip – one week overseas trip with assessed learning journal (5 credits).

The projects will involve the preparation and delivery of plans, reports, presentations, role-play exercises or a combination of these elements.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught using a mix of lectures, tutorials and practical classes. The lectures introduce students to key skills such as negotiation and group-working. The practical skills classes introduce students to key skills including observation; communicating using visual media and creative synthesis. Tutorial sessions will support students to develop their groupwork assignments.

Study hours

At least 45 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

• Formal peer assessment of group contribution for Site Planning Project – updated and submitted with each element (Semester 1). 
• Informal presentation of Case Analysis Report (End of Semester 2). 
• Formal peer assessment of group contribution for Negotiated Development Project – updated and submitted with each element (Semester 2). 

Reassessment

Additional costs