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Advanced Topics in Regional Studies and Planning

Code: 44471 ECTS Credits: 9
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
4317520 Territorial Studies and Planning OB 0

Contact

Name:
Maria Asuncion Blanco Romero
Email:
asuncion.blanco@uab.cat

Teachers

Gemma Canoves Valiente
Inmaculada Diaz Soria
Eduardo Ariza Sole
Francesc Romagosa Casals
Esteve Dot Jutglā

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

None


Objectives and Contextualisation

In this subject, the key contents of the most advanced contemporary research in tourism analysis and, more specifically, the planning and management of tourism as an activity that generates challenges and opportunities will be discussed. The course will provide students with the conceptual and methodological tools necessary for the analysis and planning of tourist activity in diverse environments, providing a vision from the complementarity and development of multifunctional territories.

The subject has an applied nature and is guided by the challenge learning methodology: it involves facing real and complex problems identified by the different actors in the territory to carry out an adequate diagnosis and point out possible solutions to the problems detected. Challenge-based learning is today a widely recognized methodology that allows not only dealing with real case studies, but also inserting the student into environments in which they can develop their professional career in the future. It is also a good opportunity to integrate and experiment with the knowledge and methods acquired in other subjects of the Master. For this reason, the central axis is the realization of a project that we call Troncal and that is done in coordination with two more subjects: Territorial and Urban Planning and City and Metropolitan Spaces.

We understand core as carrying out a practical exercise, consisting of the recognition and identification of the urban, social and environmental characteristics of a territory in order to implement projects and proposals that resolve the identified challenges.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the title of the core is Tourism and socio-territorial challenges: Planning and management of inland tourism in the Vinalopó corridor (Alicante). This territory, without an administrative delimitation, responds to a natural region such as the Vinalopó valley, where we find several municipalities (Villena, Elda, Pretel, Sax, Biar, etc.), more or less integrated into tourist dynamics, but with a long history of adaptation and development of adaptation and reconversion strategies.

The challenge posed will be, based on the identification of specific problems expressed by local actors, to select, define and develop, collaboratively, possible alternatives specified in proposals and projects. You will work in small groups, each of them will delve into a thematic aspect. The results will be presented to local officials and other actors in society.


Learning Outcomes

  1. CA24 (Competence) Evaluate the access to public space according to citizens' social and economic status.
  2. CA25 (Competence) Describe the transformation of public space by planning to rebalance the territory.
  3. KA22 (Knowledge) Identify the reference paradigms of current lines of research on territorial and urban matters.
  4. KA23 (Knowledge) Identify the relationship between the political-legal system and territorial dynamics.
  5. KA24 (Knowledge) Outline territorial and urban transformation processes using methodologies and instruments linked to reference theories, which are capable of measuring the mechanisms of action and their results.
  6. KA25 (Knowledge) Recognise conceptual frameworks used to analyse and interpret territorial and urban conflicts.
  7. KA39 (Knowledge) Select analysis and synthesis strategies for assessing the impact that urban planning has on citizens.
  8. SA20 (Skill) Manage conflict and coexistence in public spaces as a tool for urban planning.
  9. SA21 (Skill) Evaluate the relevance of academic research in territorial intervention and management for the purposes of planning.

Content

In this subject the following topics will be covered:

1. Planning and management of tourism in the current context of polycrisis

2. Potentials and challenges of tourism as an activity for territorial development

3. Appropriate tourist destinations and modalities in diverse territories

4. Alternatives for analyzing tourism to create a 21st century sector

6. Recognition of the study area

7. Tools for the preparation of a planning document for the implementation of tourism policies

At the beginning of the course the detailed program of the subject will be provided

 

 

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classes and debates 27 1.08 KA22, KA24, KA25, SA21
Lectures 12 0.48 CA24, CA25, SA21
Workshop 25.5 1.02 KA22, KA23, KA39, SA20, SA21
Type: Supervised      
Field work 26 1.04 CA24, KA22, KA39, SA20
Group Tutorials 8 0.32 KA39, SA20, SA21
Type: Autonomous      
Sutudy and preparation of the course project 123.5 4.94 CA25, KA22, KA23, KA25

The training activities are divided into those leading by the teaching staff (both in the classroom and outside of it), the supervised ones followed by the teaching staff outside the classroom, and the autonomous ones that the students must develop.

There are three types of leading activities. 1) Classes in the classroom that will combine master sessions with debates. 2) The cycle of conferences (six in total) and debates in the study area (four in total). 3) The workshops, of a practical nature.

Within the supervised activities, two types are considered: 1) Fieldwork, which will be carried out the week of October 14 to 18; 2) The group project tutorials that each tutor will conduct.

At the beginning of the subject, the teachers will explain the protocol of measurements and good practices for field trips.

Finally, the autonomous activity will consist of the elaboration of all phases of the core project.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Active participation in the course 10% 0 0 KA23, KA24, KA39
Essay 25% 0 0 CA24, CA25, KA25
Main Project 40% 0 0 CA24, CA25, KA22, KA23, KA24, KA25, KA39, SA20, SA21
Oral defense of core work 10% 3 0.12 CA24, CA25, KA22, KA23, KA24, KA25, KA39, SA20, SA21
Poster project 15% 0 0 KA22, KA24, KA25, KA39

The final mark of the subject will consist of:

 Subject-specific activities: 35%

  • Essay: 25%
  • Classroom participation: 10%

Core project: 65%

  • Core project memory: 40%
  • Poster core project: 15%
  • Oral defense of the project: 10%

To pass the subject it will be necessary to obtain a mark equal to or greater than 5 in both the essay and the overall grade of the core project.

If you do not get 5, it will be possible to recover two pieces of evaluative evidence:

  • Recover the essay mark: by completing an additional exercise to be specified
  • Recover the core project grade: by taking an oral exam of the contents worked on in the core group.

To be entitled to recovery, all evidence related to the trunk project must have been presented.

Those students who have not presented all the evidence of the core project will NOT BE EVALUABLE

At the time of carrying out each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students (Moodle) of the procedure and date for reviewing the marks.

VERY IMPORTANT:

Total or partial plagiarism of any of the exercises will automatically be considered a FAIL (0) of the plagiarized exercise. In the event that various irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.

PLAGIARISM is copying from unidentified sources of a text, be it a single sentence or more, that is passed off as one's own production (THIS INCLUDES COPYING PHRASES OR FRAGMENTS FROM THE INTERNET AND ADDING THEM WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS TO THE TEXT THAT IS PRESENTED AS OWN), and is an offense serious. It is necessary to learn to respect the intellectual property of others and to always identify the sources that can be used, and it is essential to take responsibility for the originality and authenticity of one's own text.

Evaluation activities graded 0 due to irregularities committed by the student cannot be recovered.

This subject does NOT provide for the single evaluation system


Bibliography

 

The lecturers will give the specific bibliographic references for each session.

Recommended bibliography:

  • AYMERICH, Ramon (2021). La fàbrica de turistes. El país que va canviar la indústria pel turisme. Edit. Pòrtic
  • BLANCO, Francisco Javier (2020). Antes de pulsar el botón de reinicio. Retos de la reconstrucción del turismo global tras la covid-19. Editorial Conciencia.
  • BLANCO-ROMERO, Asunción; BLÁZQUEZ-SALOM, Macià; DE LA CALLE, Manuel; FERÁNDEZ TABALES Alfonso; GARCÍA HERNÁNDEZ, María; LOIS GONZÁLEZ, Rubén.C.; MÍNGUEZ GARCÍA, M.Carmen.; NAVALÓN GARCÍA, Rosario; NAVARRO JURADO, Enrique, & TROITIÑO TORRALBA, Libertad. (2021). Diccionario de Turismo. Cátedra, Madrid.
  • CAÑADA, Ernest. & MURRAY, Ivan. (2019). Turistificación global. Perspectivas críticas en turismo. Editorial Icaria.
  • CAÑADA, Ernest, MURRAY, Ivan, Dit Chirot, Clement (2023). El malestar enla turistificación. Editorial Icaria.
  • IVARS, Josep. (2003). Planificación turística de los espacios regionales en España. Síntesis. Madrid.
  • LÓPEZ PALOMEQUE, Francisco; VERA REBOLLO, J. Fernando; TORRES DELGADO, Anna & IVARS BAIDAL, Josep A. (2022). El turismo, ¿fin de época?. Desafíos de españa como destino turístico en un nuevo escenario. Edit. PUV. Universitat de València.
  • FERNÁNDEZ TABALES, Alfonso. (dir) (2003). Manual de Gestión Local del Turismo. Sevilla, Turismo de la Provincia de Sevilla.
  • SIMANCAS, Moises. (coord.). Planificación y gestión territorial del turismo. Editorial Síntesis, Madrid.
  • VERA REBOLLO, J. Fernando (coor); López Palomeque, Francisco; Marchena, Manuel; Antón, Salvador (2011). Análisis territorial del turismo y planificación de destinos turísticos. Valencia. Tirant lo Blanch.

Software

Office and GIS (ArcGis and Qgis).


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TEm) Theory (master) 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon