Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Architecture, Design and Planning School
This course introduces students to the theories and disciplinary practice of urban planning. The course covers the challenges in International development planning as well as the Australian planning context at National, State, regional and local scales. Historical and contemporary issues, debates and contentious issues in planning are also addressed. The course will leave students with a clear understanding of "what is planning" and some of the many challenges in shaping our cities and neighbourhoods.
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the purpose, evolution, and contemporary practice of urban planning. It traces the development of modern urban planning and the growth of Australian cities to provide a foundation for understanding current planning principles, practices, and challenges. The course explores how urban planning shapes and manages development to achieve sustainable futures, drawing on examples from Queensland and international contexts.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students should be prepared to read and think critically about a range of issues that are confronting modern settlements. This course requires an open and enquiring mind and a concern for improving the ways that settlements are designed and managed.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Sebastien Darchen
Tutor
Mrs Helen Caswell
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of PLAN1001 is to introduce students to the general theories and practices in the discipline ofﾠurban and regional planning. This will be achieved by analysing the main concepts, principles, legislation (Queensland), policies (Queensland), and debatesﾠinvolved in the planning, design and management of the built environment.
The course will explore how cities have changed in the past and how urban and regional planning have evolved to address the community needs.ﾠInternational development planning and the contribution and challenges of planning for sustainable development will also be explored.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
demonstrate a clear understanding of the scope of urban and regional planning;
LO2.
demonstrate a broad understanding of the key historical developments in planning and human settlement;
LO3.
discuss the challenges and opportunities of urban and regional planning for sustainable development;
LO4.
demonstrate a logical and coherent understanding of the processes of urban and regional planning;
LO5.
appreciate the complexities of planning in international urban contexts and discuss appropriate responses to key problems;
LO6.
analyse and assess the key urban design qualities of a place;
LO7.
apply critical thinking to a range of planning debates and complex urban issues;
LO8.
Work both in groups and independently and utilise verbal and written communication skills to effectively articulate urban and regional planning knowledge.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Workshop Participation
|
10% |
Workshops Weeks: 2, 4-6, 8-12 5/03/2026 - 21/05/2026 |
| Quiz |
Quiz
|
30% |
16/04/2026 12:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Paper | 30% |
1/05/2026 1:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Group Presentation
|
30% |
Group Presentations: Week 13 during seminar 12:00 - 17:00 28/05/2026 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Workshop Participation
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
Workshops Weeks: 2, 4-6, 8-12 5/03/2026 - 21/05/2026
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
This course requires attendance and active engagement in the weekly workshops. In total, the course includes 9 workshops, held in Weeks 2, 4-6, 8-12. During the workshops, students will participate in various activities, typically in small groups. Attendance and participation in each workshop activities equate to 1.25 marks.
You are required to attend and actively participate in 8 out of the 9 course workshops to achieve the full mark. For example, if you participate in 8 workshops and engage in the activities, you will receive 10/10. If you only participate in 7, your score will be 8.75/10; and so forth.
Note: While attendance and participation in the activities of all 9 workshops are recommended, it will not result in more than 10 marks dedicated to this assessment item.
In-person assessment prohibits use of AI or MT: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
You are required to attend and actively participate in 8 out of the 9 course workshops to achieve the full mark.
Quiz
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
16/04/2026 12:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
This is an individual assessment. Students will complete a paper-based quiz in person during the Week 7 lecture. This is a test of your knowledge of the course content from weeks 1 to 6, including lectures, workshops and readings.
Assessment tasks prohibiting use of AI or MT: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied to receive a specific grade in the course. This assessment item is designated as a Hurdle in this course. This means a minimum achievement of 50% (a grade of 4) is required for this assessment item in order to pass the course. Meeting the hurdle requirement for a course does not guarantee a passing grade for the course and in order to pass this course, students also need to achieve a minimum grade of 4 overall.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Research Paper
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
1/05/2026 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L05, L07, L08
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
Students work independently and research and compile a thoughtful and well-structured research paper. Each student is required to select one of the provided research questions by 1:00PM, 27 March (Week 5). A spreadsheet will be provided on the course Blackboard for students to identify their selected research question. There is a cap on the number of students for each topic (depending on the total number of students in each workshop).
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission. To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.
Late submission
The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows:
Standard 10% (or 1 grade) per day for 7 days
Group Presentation
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
Group Presentations: Week 13 during seminar 12:00 - 17:00 28/05/2026
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
In each Workshop, students that worked on the same research paper topic will form a group. Each group will select a case study relevant to their research paper topic and prepare and deliver a group presentation to the class. The presentation is an opportunity for each group to undertake an in-depth and detailed analysis of their research paper topic, by focusing on a specific real-world example as their case study. The case study can be a project, an initiative, a place, a group of people, etc. Presentations should be focused as each group has a maximum of ten (10) minutes. Following your group’s presentation, the audience will be invited to ask questions.
Note: It is up to your group as to how you prepare and deliver this presentation, but please make sure that you all equally participate in specific tasks. A group peer assessment form is available to you to complete. If no group peer assessment is submitted by 6:00PM on your presentation day, course staff will assume equal contribution of all group members and thus all students in a group will yield the same final mark.
If, for whatever reason, you find that your group is not functioning effectively, please contact your Course Coordinator for support.
In-person assessment prohibits use of AI or MT: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Discretionary extensions are not available for this task.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions for oral groupwork are typically not available as this impacts on all members of the team. If one student has an extension then this student will receive the same mark as their other group members.
No Discretionary Extension will be available for the presentation or associated component of this assessment.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
100% Late Penalty. No grace period.
Consistent with industry practice around presentations to clients/industry partners, no late submissions will be accepted and a 100% late penalty applies. This has been approved by the Associate Dean (Academic).
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Identity verified assessment with a hurdle (IVAH)
To meet assessment validity and integrity obligations, this course includes at least one piece of individual Identity Verified Assessment with a Hurdle (IVAH) that is unambiguously completed by that student, and in which a minimum level of achievement is reached. IVAH assessment item(s) contribute at least 30% towards the final grade. Examples of IVAH items include any activity in which a student’s individual performance is directly monitored, such as performances, fieldwork, oral assessment (including design critiques), design studio project work and invigilated exams. In order to pass this course students must achieve a minimum grade for the IVAH designated assessment item(s) as stated in the Assessment Task Description in the ECP.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Weekly readings and other useful links are included on the blackboard site for this course.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lectures See Blackboard for information. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 12 |
Workshop |
Workshops See Blackboard for information. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 13 (25 May - 31 May) |
Seminar |
Seminar See Blackboard for information. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.