Introduction to Land Use Planning
Code: 104234 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Oriol Nel·lo Colom
- Email:
- oriol.nello@uab.cat
Teachers
- Marc Pares Franzi
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
To take this course, students must have a command of Catalan and/or Spanish at level B2 or higher.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Spatial planning can be defined as the set of actions and regulations that society adopts to organize and plan land use, as well as to regulate the use of resources. It is a practice that can be carried out at various scales: from strictly urban planning in small areas to broader territorial contexts. It may be implemented directly by public authorities or by other entities such as public and private companies or citizen organizations.
Spatial planning has a strong technical component, but since it involves decisions that affect the interests of different social groups and the power relations between them, it inevitably raises ethical questions and political implications. For this reason, it has been described as “a politically driven practice technically assisted” (F. Indovina).
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the definition, themes, and history of spatial planning, familiarizing them with the main concepts and related topics.
Learning Outcomes
- CM06 (Competence) Carry out team work that promotes team commitment, collaborative habits and joint problem-solving skills.
- KM09 (Knowledge) List the figures related to territorial planning (general and sectorial) and instruments for the promotion and management of regional and urban land policies.
- KM10 (Knowledge) Define the main features of the evolution of spatial planning and town planning practices in general terms and in the case of Catalonia.
- SM08 (Skill) Discuss a topic related to urban planning in Catalonia that includes an ethical reflection.
- SM08 (Skill) Discuss a topic related to urban planning in Catalonia that includes an ethical reflection.
Content
The course will be developed according to the following syllabus:
INTRODUCTION
- Course presentation
- Practical session: Planning the territory
PART 1 – THE BIRTH OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN PLANNING: REFORMS AND URBAN EXPANSIONS
- The origins of the contemporary urbanization process: liberal revolution, bourgeois revolution, and urban transformation
- “The city of the dreadful night” and the origins of urban planning as a discipline: utopian urbanism, revolutionary critique, and bourgeois urbanism. Baron G. E. Haussmann’s Paris
- The beginnings of urban expansion in Catalonia: Ildefons Cerdà’s Barcelona
- Practical session: Urban morphology
- Debate: Change society or change the city? F. Engels vs I. Cerdà
- Field trip: The Eixample of Barcelona
PART 2 – THE EXPANSION OF URBAN NETWORKS AND THE GARDEN CITY
- The expansion of urban networks and the formation of the first metropolises: railways, trams, subways, and public lighting
- The garden city as a response to the industrial city and its problems: Ebenezer Howard
- The garden city in Catalonia: Cebrià de Montoliu and Nicolau M. Rubió i Tudurí
- Practical session: Settlement and habitat
- Debate: Countryside vs city – Gaziel vs G. Alomar
- Field trip: Bellaterra
PART 3 – FUNCTIONALISM AND THE MODERN MOVEMENT
- The Fordist city: industry, functionality, and social conflict
- The modern movement and functionalism: Le Corbusier
- GATCPAC and the modern movement in Catalonia: Josep Lluís Sert
- Practical session: Systems and facilities
- Debate: De/urbanization and housing models – Ginzburg vs Le Corbusier
- Field trip: The “cheap houses” of Bon Pastor and the “Casa Bloc” in Sant Andreu
PART 4 – THE AUTOMOBILE CITY AND URBAN SPRAWL
- The emergence of the automobile and urban sprawl
- Adapting the city to the automobile: Robert Moses
- Infrastructure plans in Catalonia: The Public Works Plan of Catalonia and Victoriano Muñoz Oms
- Practical session: Regulatory parameters of urbanization
- Debate: Specialization vs complexity – R. Moses vs J. Jacobs
- Field trip: Housing estates in the Besòs area
PART 5 – THE “EXPLOSION OF THE CITY,” NEOLIBERAL POLICIES, AND REFORMIST URBANISM
- The “explosion of the city,” extensive urbanization, and planetary urbanization
- Urban policies in the contemporary city: between the neoliberal city and reformist urbanism
- The city as a tool for social redistribution: Pasqual Maragall and Oriol Bohigas
The planned syllabus may be subject to changes due to course developments or other circumstances.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Debates | 6 | 0.24 | SM08, SM08 |
| Field work | 12.5 | 0.5 | CM06, KM10, CM06 |
| Practical sessions | 6.5 | 0.26 | CM06, KM09, KM10, CM06 |
| Theoretical sessions | 22.5 | 0.9 | KM09, KM10, SM08, KM09 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Field trip video-making | 10 | 0.4 | CM06, KM10, CM06 |
| Practical report | 15 | 0.6 | CM06, KM09, KM10, CM06 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Personal study | 35 | 1.4 | KM09, KM10, KM09 |
| Practical information search | 25 | 1 | CM06, CM06 |
| Readings | 10 | 0.4 | KM10, SM08, KM10 |
| Supervised tutorials or in small groups | 5 | 0.2 |
The course will be structured into five blocks, each dedicated to one of the major periods in contemporary urban planning and spatial organization. Each block will include theoretical lessons, practical exercises, debates, and field trips.
Each block will begin with several theoretical sessions, which will successively address: the history of the urbanization process during the period studied, how this development was reflected in the main urban planning movements, and how these were expressed in Catalonia.
The practical component of each block will consist of an exercise—cartographic, statistical, or planning-related—through which students will engage with key concepts and tools in spatial planning. As a result of these exercises, students will compile a practical portfolio that reflects their understanding of the concepts and tools used.
In addition, each block will include a field trip to observe and analyze, on-site, the materialization of the period studied. For each field trip, students will produce a synthesis video. The schedule and details of the field trips will be announced at the beginning of the course. In all cases, the Faculty’s protocol for off-campus activities will apply. Students will have access to specific safety documentation for activities conducted outside the UAB campus, which they must read and accept.
Finally, each block will conclude with a debate in which two key concepts in the evolution of contemporary urbanism will be discussed. Students will prepare for these debates by reading short texts and summarizing them to develop their arguments. Participation from all students will be encouraged, ensuring gender and other forms of parity.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom practice and dossier preparation | 30% | 0 | 0 | CM06, KM09, KM10 |
| Exams | 50% | 2.5 | 0.1 | KM09, KM10 |
| Field trip videos | 10 | 0 | 0 | CM06, KM10 |
| Participation in the debates | 10% | 0 | 0 | SM08 |
Due to its characteristics, this course is not eligible for single assessment.
The course will be assessed continuously and will consist of four main components:
- Exams: At the end of each of the five parts of the course, a short exam will be held. Each exam will account for 10% of the final grade (totaling 50%).
- Practical portfolio: Students must complete a portfolio of practical exercises, to be submitted at the end of the teaching period. The grade for this component will be based on attendance and submission of each exercise (1/6 of the grade), a partial submission during the course (1/6), and the final submission (2/3). This component will account for 30% of the final grade.
- Field trip videos: For each field trip, students (in groups) must produce a summary video. If a student does not attend the trip, they may not submit the video. These videos will account for 10% of the final grade.
- Participation in debates: For debate sessions, students must summarize a reading (1/3 of the grade), actively participate in the debate (1/3), and orally defend a position in at least one debate (1/3). Oral defense is a requirement to pass the course. This component will account for 10% of the final grade.
Attendance to all lectures, practical sessions, and field trips is mandatory. In exceptional cases of absence, proper justification must be provided.
To pass the course, students must:
a) Pass the exams with an average score of at least 5.
b) Submit the practical portfolio and obtain a minimum score of 5.
c) Participate in the oral defense of a position in at least one debate.
d) Regularly participate in all course activities (lectures, practicals, and fieldwork).
Scheduling of assessments and activities:
The teaching staff will inform students of the dates for exams,practicals, field trips, and debates. These dates cannot be changed individually, except in exceptional and properly justified cases. Erasmus students requesting to take an exam early must present a written request from their home university.
Review of grades:
At the time of each assessment, the teaching staff will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date for grade review.
Resits:
Exams and the practical portfolio may be retaken in the manner and on the dates announced. Participation in debates and field trip videos is not eligible for resit.
Only activities that have been previously assessed and failed may be retaken.
Any assessment involving irregularities is not eligible for resit.
In resits, the maximum grade that can be obtained for each reassessed component is 5.
The resit exam date is set by the Faculty and cannot be changed.
Non-assessable students:
If a student does not submit any work, attend any practical sessions or field trips, or take any exams, the final grade will be marked as “Not Assessable.”
If a student fails to complete any assessment activity—exam, practical, reading summary, or field trip video—the grade for that activity will be 0, it will not be eligible for resit, and it will be included in the weighted average.
Plagiarism or fraudulent conduct:
If a student commits any irregularity that significantly affects the grade of an assessment, that assessment will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary action.
If multiple irregularities occur in the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0.
Use of Artificial Intelligence:
The use of AI technologies is permitted in this course as part of task development, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection.
Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using AI, specifying the tools used and their purpose.
Lack of transparency in the use of AI in any assessable activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or full penalties on the grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Honors Distinctions:
Honors distinctions will be awarded to students who achieve a score of 9.5 or higher in each component, up to 5% of enrolled students, based on final grade ranking.
At the discretion of the teaching staff, honors may also be awarded in other justified cases.
Bibliography
THE BIBLIOGRAPHY CORRESPONDING TO EACH OF THE TOPICS WILL BE INDICATED IN ITS DUE TIME.
Software
Office.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 12 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 12 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |