Development Planning

For human settlements to be sustainable and successful, they must be properly planned. Urban and regional planners play an important role in shaping the development and land use of cities, towns and regions, and promoting public interest in the development process.

In the program you will be introduced to the principles, practices and techniques used by urban and regional planners. You will apply interdisciplinary knowledge and techniques to address environmental, social and design issues of concern to communities.

The course is suitable if you do not have a background in planning, or if you are a practising planner outside of Australia.

Upon successful completion of the graduate certificate, you may be eligible for entry into the master degree.

Please refer to the handbook for additional course overview information.

Why study

• This course promotes a balanced view towards: theory and practice; and local and global perspectives.
• Fieldwork, studios and practical exercises are integrated within the curriculum.
• This course provides a pathway to the Master of Urban and Regional Planning for graduates with bachelors from unrelated disciplines and professionals with relevant work experience.

Career information

The future of planning and development
The future of planning and development is underpinned by the need for innovative thinking to plan, regulate and manage the environmental, economic and social impacts of development.

Urban and regional issues are collective, often having multiple stakeholders with differing requirements. We require new ways of approaching land use and resource problems – such as developing sharing and community economies, encouraging a social licence to operate, and innovating our democratic institutions.

Innovation in urban planning and development will also occur through technological advances. Smart technologies, big data and the Internet of Things are opening new ways of developing knowledge and seeing cities and regions. Although these technologies will further enhance the analysis of planning problems, cultural competency and humanism are also critically important for working with communities and formulating responsive designs and solutions.

Industries

• land-use planning
• Development
• Housing
• Transport
• Government
• Community engagement

What you'll learn

• identify and apply the principles, theories and concepts of urban and regional planning and draw upon appropriate knowledge of social, economic and environmental factors within a governance framework to practise planning, particularly in the Western Australian context;
• examine and challenge theories and practices of urban and regional planning, and generate creative solutions to planning issues
• access, evaluate and synthesise information in the context of urban and regional planning
• communicate effectively in writing, graphically and orally with various audiences within a university context
• use appropriate technologies to gather and interpret research and data
• engage in self education within the Urban and Regional Planning profession to continue self development
• compare and contrast developmental processes in local and international contexts
• recognise and consider the needs and aspirations of the diversity of populations served by urban and regional planning, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the cultures of other minority ethnic groups in Australia and internationally
• work ethically as individuals and in teams using skills central to the practice of integrated planning development