APL380 Environmental Governance for Planning

In this course we will examine perspectives on the role of planning in governing sustainability transformations the world over. The course content addresses theories concerning the nature and extent of socio-political change that is deemed necessary and the ways in which change can be steered or governed. A substantial amount of the course will be spent critically examining case studies of environmental planning policies and practices that are intended to engender and/or steer societal change. The case studies include policy tools that are considered to be a cornerstone of existing environmental planning practice (notably, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment), cross cutting environmental concerns at the forefront of discussions on change (nature conservation and climate change planning), and urbanisation as a particular locus for experimentation in planning. We will also address understanding and working with conflict in environmental planning and governance.