Overview

The aim of this unit for students to develop an understanding of key legal and governmental principles, frameworks and application processes underpinning urban design and planning, and build an understanding of approaches for development, implementation and administration of urban propositions through the structures and frameworks of local Strategic and Statutory planning laws.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Understand broad legal principles, theories and application of a range of governance systems and policies
  • Interpret the key legal and governmental principles, frameworks and application processes underpinning planning, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law and governance systems.
  • Select from strategic and statutory planning as well as urban design plan-making processes and implementation techniques, appropriate to a range of scales
  • Critically apply evidenced-based planning theories to problem identification, investigation and resolution
  • Review controls, planning regulations and policies which facilitate improvement and management of urban spaces and urban design outcomes.
  • Broadly understand statutory processes associated with plan-making, implementation and administration, the principles and practices of legal interpretation, drafting of legislation and regulations and operation of appeal systems including the role of courts, tribunals and the role of expert evidence
  • Utilise the tools used in real-world planning to address urban outcomes.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		1.00 8 weeks 8
On-campus
Practical		2.00 8 weeks 16
Online
Lecture		1.00 8 weeks 8
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		8.00 12 weeks 96
Online
Learning activities		2.00 8 weeks 16
TOTAL144

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Project 1Individual 30% 1,2,3,7 
Project 2Individual 50% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
Project 3Individual 20% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 

Content

  • Explore urban policy with the Australian context with respect to Federation and the three tiers of Government
  • Exploration of Metro strategies, systems and zoning overlays in Australian and the rationale behind these
  • Examination of theories of transit-oriented development, activity centres, and city plans
  • Exploration of developing master plans, design guidelines and structure plans
  • Examination of planning laws and sustainable urban design

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.