LUP-20306 Planning and Research Methods

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Assumed knowledge on:

LAR-24306; LUP24306; YRM-21306

Continuation courses:

LUP-30806

Contents:

This practical course is an in-depth planning methodology course, focusing at planning and research methods to support planning problems at local scale level. Students gain knowledge and skills with applying various methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of land use and landscape assessment, including bio-physical and environmental aspects as well as socio-economic aspects. The course familiarizes the students with concepts for structuring spatial related data, its analysis and spatial coherence, participatory approaches and a variety of assessment techniques. The methods will be applied in several case studies and landscape transformations among others related to food related issues, ecology, leisure economy, mobility and network infrastructure, water, spatial-environmental conflicts and demography. Students are expected to reflect on the methods presented in the course, in order to improve their skills in distinguishing and selecting the appropriate methods in a given planning context.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- dompare different planning methods;
- compare different quantitative and qualitative research methods;
- assess advantages and disadvantages of planning methods;
- distinguish and select planning methods in the context of a planning task on the local scale;
- apply statistical knowledge for landscape, land use and spatial analysis;
- interpret analytical results in terms of landscape transformation processes at the local scale;
- explain the relationships between research and planning methods.

Activities:

- lectures;
- practical exercises;
- writing short reports;
- individual presentation.

Examination:

The student will be assessed on the basis of the following separate parts:
a) individual written examination on planning and research methods (50%);
b) Group report on planning and research methods applied in the course with reflections related to four different planning styles (50%).

Literature:

selected scientific papers and additional literature.