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Course profile

Community Participation in Planning (PLAN3005)

Study period
Sem 1 2025
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
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 examines the role of communities in planning processes. The first part of the course discusses the concept of community, community engagement and participation, as well as analysing the frameworks and tools that encourage (or not) community engagement in national and international contexts. The second part of the course discusses community engagement processes from the perspective of communities and civil society organisations in general, governments, and private sector organisations.

The course discusses the concepts of community, community engagement and participation, as well as analysing the frameworks and tools that encourage (or not) community engagement in local, national and international contexts. Concepts of community, collaborative planning, governance, power, social movements, elite control and elite capture, participation and engagement are discussed in the first part of the course.ᅠThe course also explores tools for community engagement and analysis. The second part analyses community engagement processes from the perspective of communities and civil society organisations in general, governments, and private sector organisations.ᅠThis course is co-taught between PLAN3005 and PLAN7121, with variances in learning objectives, activities and assessment.ᅠ

Course requirements

Assumed background

There are no formal pre-requisite courses that we assume you have completed. However, it is assumed that you will have a solid grasp of spoken and written English and a basic understanding of planning and/or policymaking. It is also important that you bring to the course an open-mind and a willingness to discuss issues. This is a course on planning and the content discussed is about urban planning processes. Students doing the course as elective will have the option to choose a topic related to their own discipline for the final essay, in consultation with the course coordinator. However the essay has to follow the instructions stated on the ECP.ᅠ

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

PLAN7121

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

There are two compulsory sessions for students in PLAN3005, which are linked to the assessment of the course.

Week 8: Group presentation progress

Week 9: Individual progress presentation

Aims and outcomes

The course aims to provide an overview on the importance of community engagement in planning processes through the examination of conceptual and practical aspects of community participation in local, national and international contexts.ᅠ

It examines the theoretical foundations for community engagement and analyses case studies to understand the complexity of implementing community engagement processes in planning at local levels. The course analyses local and international case studies.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of community engagement in planning processes.

LO2.

Develop and apply conceptual arguments on the role of community participation within collaborative planning.

LO3.

Critically examine frameworks and tools that encourage (or not) community participation in local and international contexts.

LO4.

Critically evaluate case studies on community engagement and learn from those experiences.

LO5.

Design a Community Engagement Plan.

LO6.

Identify the different perceptions and interests on community engagement from public sector, private sector and civil society organisations.

LO7.

Demonstrate high quality skills for groupwork to successfully complete course assignments

LO8.

Effectively express your ideas in written and verbal formats.

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Quiz Quizzes
  • Online
20%

Quiz 1 due 8am 3/03/2025

Quiz 2 due 4pm 14/03/2025

Quiz 3 due 4pm 21/03/2025

Quiz 4 due 8am 24/03/2025

Quizzes open on the Tuesday after the Monday lecture and are available until the due date and time.

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project Group assignment: Community Engagement Plan
  • Identity Verified
  • Team or group-based
40% Group

Group Presentation in class 14/04/2025

Submission 30/04/2025 2:00 pm

Essay/ Critique Essay
  • Hurdle
  • Identity Verified
40% IVAH

Presentation - compulsory 28/04/2025 2:00 pm

Submission 30/05/2025 2:00 pm

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

Quizzes

  • Online
Mode
Written
Category
Quiz
Weight
20%
Due date

Quiz 1 due 8am 3/03/2025

Quiz 2 due 4pm 14/03/2025

Quiz 3 due 4pm 21/03/2025

Quiz 4 due 8am 24/03/2025

Quizzes open on the Tuesday after the Monday lecture and are available until the due date and time.

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Task description

Assessment Rationale:

A weekly quiz forms part of your assessment for this course. The quiz can be accessed via Blackboard and is to be completed online. The purpose of this quiz is to check and test your understanding of key ideas from the weekly readings and lectures. It is unlikely that you will be able to pass the quiz if you do not do the readings and attend the lecture or listen to the online recording of the lecture. The quiz will be posted following each lecture.

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. 

Submission guidelines

Online

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 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

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Group assignment: Community Engagement Plan

  • Identity Verified
  • Team or group-based
Mode
Written
Category
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project
Weight
40% Group
Due date

Group Presentation in class 14/04/2025

Submission 30/04/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Task description

Assessment Rationale:

The purpose of this assignment is to design a Community Engagement Plan (CEP) for a case study, explaining how each stage will be done. There are different stages/elements in a CEP. It is suggested that you follow the structure provided by State of Queensland (2017, 13-14). You need to write the report as if the group will be consultants and no work on this project has been done. This means that the proposal does not necessarily need to follow how the engagement for the case study has been done so far in practice. The case study will be the proposals for the Toowong-West End and St Lucia-West End Green Bridges, by Brisbane City Council (BCC). Each group needs to decide which of the two bridges will be analysed and work only on that proposal.

In preparation for this assignment, we will do a field visit to the two sites proposed for the construction of these bridges. External students will be able to watch a video of this visit. The video is pre-recorded and will contain important material that you can use in the assignment. Your analysis will be done using ideas, concepts and tools discussed in the course in relation to community participation in planning and the case study. You are expected to use academic literature to provide information on the case study and justify your decisions in the CEP.

If, for whatever reason, you find that your group is not functioning effectively, please contact your Course Coordinator for support.

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.

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.

Group requests must fill out the group member acknowledgement form: https://my.uq.edu.au/files/35533/extension-to-group-assessment.pdf with at least 50% in agreeance.

Late submission

The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows: 

First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.

Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted

Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)

Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

If one student has an extension then this student will receive the same mark as their other group members (with agreement from at least 50% of the members of the group, and recognition of potential impacts on the other group members). If 50% of group members do not agree, the extension will not be approved.

Essay

  • Hurdle
  • Identity Verified
Mode
Oral, Written
Category
Essay/ Critique
Weight
40% IVAH
Due date

Presentation - compulsory 28/04/2025 2:00 pm

Submission 30/05/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Task description

Assessment Rationale:

The goal of this assignment is for students to provide a critical and in-depth analysis of a case study using the main concepts, tools and skills covered in the course. Students will respond to the following general question in the essay: Why is stakeholder engagement a critical element of the planning process? The response should include a critical and in-depth analysis of the main concepts discussed in the course (such as the meaning of community, type of community engagement, rationale for stakeholder engagement, power relations, and stakeholders involved) and should illustrate the discussion with the use of a case study chosen by each student. Make sure that both conceptual and case study discussions are integrated. Students need to find their own case studies for this assignment. The case study used for the group assignment cannot be used for this essay, nor can other case studies discussed in class be used, such as the Mt Cootha Zipline and Victoria Park/Barrambin in Brisbane.

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

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: 

First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.

Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted

Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)

Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

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

A list of key readings for this course is available on Blackboard (learning resources).

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Multiple weeks

From Week 1 To Week 13
(24 Feb - 01 Jun)

Lecture

Lecture

Week 1 - Collaborative planning and governance

Week 2 - Community engagement and participation

Week 3 - Social movements & activism in the city

Week 4 - Frameworks for community engagement and Group dynamics strategies

Week 5 - Tools for community engagement

Week 6 - Field Visit - Green Bridges walk

Week 7 - Community engagement in planning: Public sector's perspective (Brisbane City Council Team)

Week 8 - Workshop and group presentation

Mid Semester break

Week 9 - Social Impact Assessment

Week 10: No class - Public Holiday

Week 11 - Indigenous Community Planning (Greg Kitson)

Week 12 - Community engagement in planning: Private sector's perspective (Katia Salazar)

Week 13 - Panel: Community engagement in planning and wrapping up of course

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Week 6

(31 Mar - 06 Apr)

Fieldwork

Field visit

This visit to the locations of the proposed Green Bridges for Toowong/Taringa- West End supports the preparation of the group assignment. The visit takes place during class time on 31 March 2025 (8-10am). Students should be covering the costs of travel with City Cat to the these locations. More information will be provided in class in preparation for the activity.

Learning outcomes: L01, L04, L05

Week 8

(14 Apr - 20 Apr)

Workshop

Workshop: Community Engagement Plan

Workshop: Community Engagement Plan (1 hour) and Group presentation on CEP progress. See instructions on group presentation on Blackboard.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08

Week 13

(26 May - 01 Jun)

General contact hours

Panel: Community engagement in planning

Analysis of civil society's perspective on engagement processes (panel).

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:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.