15345 Minor Project

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: School of the Built Environment
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In professional practice, planning is a discipline that requires deep understanding of different urban phenomena in order to provide adequate and creative solutions to improve people's urban living. This subject requires students to analyse a planning problem and develop a viable solution(s). The student chooses the planning problem under the guidance of academic staff. This subject contains introductory sessions on ways of researching and writing a research project, particularly a literature review, and on the selection of an appropriate research topic. There is an initial class workshop on proposed project topics, followed by two other workshops where students make powerpoint and verbal presentations of their progress, where students have the opportunity to provide and receive feedback from their peers and the lecturers.

In this subject, students analyse causes which give rise to this particular problem and the effects of the problem, in terms of environmental, economic and sociocultural factors, using academic literature and other data sources as appropriate. They then propose creative solutions or responses to the chosen problem in light of this analysis, drawing on existing literature as appropriate. The subject is undertaken primarily via self-direction, but students are carefully guided by their supervisor and meet on a regular basis for discussions regarding their progress.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1.	Develop a deeper understanding of a current urban problem
2.	Design a research strategy and effectively apply a methodological approach
3.	Articulate a planning problem, analyse its causes and effects, and propose solutions to it
4.	Present a clear rationale for proposed solutions
5.	Propose creative solutions to planning problems
6.	Develop effective communication strategies

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

Communicate with people with a wide variety of cultural, social, economic, and political perspectives using verbal, written, and visual media (C.2)
Develop creative solutions to complex problems based on research and evaluation (I.1)
Investigate strategically the future of cities and regions and identify the drivers of change (P.1)
Evaluate a complex problem and frame a research question to address the problem (R.1)
Design and conduct a research project to identify and evaluate alternative strategies to resolve a complex problem (R.2)
Develop coherent and logically structured arguments that use evidence appropriately (R.5)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

Classes comprise of three 3-hours seminars in which students present their research and project issues are discussed. These are complemented by independent student reading and research, and by regular (approximately fortnightly or as required) progress meetings with supervisors.

As an in-class collaborative learning activity, students provide constructive feedback to their peers regarding their research topic and its development. This stands as a formative feedback opportunity, based on peer discussion.

Content (topics)

Some of the possible topics from where to choose (non restrictive) are listed below:

1. Transport - transit oriented development, pricing, environmental impacts, infrastructure planning and policies, public and private transport usage, impacts of new transport infrastructure on urban form etc.

2. Urban design - urban analysis, design qualities and place making; open space design

3. Community development and participation - consultation in planning process, developing community indicators

4. Housing - affordability, house prices and infrastructure, social housing issues, housing policies, mixed use development

5. Heritage Planning

6. Urban planning policy analysis

7. Urban Structure - morphologies, green infrastructure planning, public open space planning,

8. Local food system, food security and sustainability - community gardens, green roofs, home gardens, planning policies for local food, food urbanism

9. Sustainable design, planning and urban performance - density patterns, mixed uses, sustainable communities, eco-city developments and framework, sustainability indicators, assessment and rating tools

10. Social sustainability

11. Sustainable/Eco tourism

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Project plan & strategy and initial literature scan

Intent:

Includes: Planning problem statement, Literature review (annotated bibliography), Project plan / strategy, and Methodology

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2 and 6

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, R.1 and R.2

Type:

Report

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

20%

Length:

The plan should be presented as a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class. There will be an opportunity for students to comment on each other’s plans and to learn from other approaches being adopted by other class members.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Demonstrate in depth understanding and argument for the chosen planning problem	20	1	R.1
Suitability of the proposed plan in relation to the chosen problem	20	2	R.2
Consistency and comprehensiveness of proposed research method	25	2	R.2
Adequacy of the annotated bibliography to support research objectives	25	1	R.1
Visual and spoken clarity of presentation	10	6	C.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Causes & effects of the problem

Intent:

Includes: Planning problem statement, Literature review (enhanced), Analysis of causes and effects.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3 and 6

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, P.1 and R.1

Type:

Report

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

40%

Length:

Approximately 3,000 words in length.

Penalties will be applied in reports with more than 10% over the word limit.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Coherence and clarity of writing a literature review with appropriate referencing	25	1	R.1
Depth and validity of critical research analysis on cause and effects	30	3	P.1
Accuracy and relevance of findings	25	2	P.1
Organisation and quality of report and presentation	20	6	C.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Final Report

Intent:

Includes Literature review, Methodology, Causes and effects, and Proposed solutions / response.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

3, 4, 5 and 6

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, I.1, P.1, R.2 and R.5

Type:

Report

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

40%

Length:

6,000 words (excluding references and appendices)

Penalties will be applied in reports with more than 10% over the word limit.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Accuracy and relevance of recommendations/response	25	4	P.1
Extent of considerations addressed in recommended changes from Assessment 2	20	3	R.2
Creativity in finding solutions and response to the planning problem	10	5	I.1
Ability to present a clear rationale for proposed solutions	20	4	R.5
Organisation and quality of final report	25	6	C.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
Students must attend at least 80% of timetabled hours.

Students must obtain a total mark of at least 50% to pass the subject.

Required texts

No required texts; students study academic literature and practical applications to conduct research depending on chosen topics.

Other resources

Helpful writing resources include:

Natalie Macris. 2003. Planning in Plain English: writing tips for urban and environmental planners. Planners Press: Chicago, IL

David Adams. 2001. Writing better reports: a handbook for civil and environmental engineers. Michigan State University. Available at http://www.egr.msu.edu/cee/techcom/handbook.pdf