APL108 Introduction to Spatial Planning

The aim of the course is to prepare planning students for their further studies, with a strong basis of theoretical and practical knowledge about the core issues in planning practice and about the main academic debates in the field.

The first section, the organisation of spatial planning (planning systems, laws, plans, policies, institutions, cross-sectoral integration).

The second section concerns different ideas of planning, (planning and market, planning as design, planning as rational decision-making), Norway.

The third theme is power in planning, including the actors that influence the result and in which ways, participation and values.

The fourth section concerns the role of planners and ethics in planning.

The last section concerns the role of planning in implementing new, ambitious political goals about climate transition, the low emission society and adaptation to climate change.

The course will lay the foundation for other key courses during the MSc program. The learning outcomes are:

a) Students will acquire knowledge on the current planning system as part of democratic governance, including multi-level governance.

b) Students will identify and be able to explain how urban development and urban planning are the result of policy (policy development). Students will be able to recognize specific issues from urban planning practice of professional relevance.

c) Students will demonstrate knowledge about the theoretical debates related to planning, democracy, knowledge and power, with special emphasis on institutional governance. Develop a meta-perspective on planning theories. Students will recognize and use relevant theories as analytical tools in discussions around specific issues in urban planning.

d) Students will outline the most important planning challenges today (and beyond), and apply the theoretical perspectives in discussions on how to deal with the challenges.