Planning and Assessment
Code: 104252 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Marc Pares Franzi
- Email:
- marc.pares@uab.cat
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.
The course is designed for third-year students and therefore assumes that the knowledge taught in first- and second-year subjects has already been acquired.
Proficiency in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is essential.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This is a compulsory third-year course, part of the “Territorial Planning” subject area.
The main objective of the course is for students to acquire the necessary knowledge to implement a planning process, as well as its environmental assessment.
To achieve this, the course sets out the following specific objectives:
- Understand the instruments of territorial planning
- Deepen knowledge of the concepts of planning, land-use regulation, and environmental assessment
- Learn how to carry out an environmental report and become familiar with the reference documentation for environmental evaluation
- Assess mitigation and adaptation policies related to climate change
- Develop and apply planning and environmental assessment processes for specific plans and programs
- Carry out a municipal plan
Learning Outcomes
- CM20 (Competence) Develop a municipal plan that includes proposals for mitigation and/or adaptation to climate change or drought emergency.
- KM29 (Knowledge) Introduce the theoretical and applied aspects of the main territorial, environmental and urban policies in a study related to spatial planning.
- KM34 (Knowledge) List the basic regional, environmental and urban regulations corresponding to each responsible administration, with reference to Catalonia.
- SM25 (Skill) Evaluate mitigation and adaptation policies to global change processes.
- SM25 (Skill) Evaluate mitigation and adaptation policies to global change processes.
Content
Unit 1: Introduction to Planning, Land-Use Regulation, and Evaluation
- Definitions and key concepts
- The concepts of planning, land-use regulation, and evaluation in different contexts
- Relationship between planning, regulation, and evaluation
Unit 2: Planning Process
- Stages of the planning process: diagnosis, goal setting, strategy selection, action plan development
- Tools and techniques used at each stage
- Factors to consider in planning: resources, constraints, involved stakeholders
Unit 3: Land-Use Regulation
- Definition and scope of land-use regulation
- Territorial planning (general, partial, and sectoral) and derivative planning
- Planning methods and approaches: prospective, strategic, operational
- Development of plans and work programs
Unit 4: Evaluation
- Concept and objectives of evaluation
- Types of evaluation: formative, summative, ex ante, ex post
- Design of evaluation tools: indicators, evaluation matrices, questionnaires, interviews, observation
Unit 5: Evaluation Process
- Stages of the evaluation process: planning, data collection, data analysis, report writing, feedback
- Data collection methods: quantitative, qualitative, mixed
- Analysis and interpretation of results
Unit 6: Use of Evaluation
- Use of evaluation results for decision-making
- Feedback and continuous improvement
- Communication of evaluation results to different audiences
Unit 7: Ethics in Planning, Regulation, and Evaluation
- Ethical considerations in the planning and evaluation process
- Relevant ethical principles and standards
- Social and professional responsibility in planning, regulation, and evaluation
Unit 8: Practical Cases and Case Studies
- Analysis and discussion of real cases related to planning, regulation, and evaluation
- Application of acquired knowledge and skills in specific situations
Unit 9: Trends and Challenges in Planning, Regulation, and Evaluation
- New approaches and perspectives in the discipline
- Emerging technologies and their impact on planning and evaluation
- Current and future challenges in the field
Unit 10: The Local Scale in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Policies
- Covenant of Mayors
- Mayors Adapt
- Mayors for Climate and Energy
Unit 11: Development of Mitigation and Adaptation Actions for Climate Change
- Municipal climate action plans
- Municipal drought emergency plans
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Field trip (PCAM) | 4 | 0.16 | CM20, SM25, CM20 |
| Practical sessions (PAUL) | 16.5 | 0.66 | CM20, SM25, CM20 |
| Theoretical lessons (TE) | 28 | 1.12 | KM29, KM34, SM25, KM29 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Monitoring of practices and reports | 20 | 0.8 | CM20, SM25, CM20 |
| Recognition of the study area | 5 | 0.2 | CM20, CM20 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Preparation of materials and study | 35 | 1.4 | KM29, KM34, SM25, KM29 |
| Writing the course report | 40 | 1.6 | CM20, SM25, CM20 |
The initial sessions of the course are dedicated to theoretical instruction, followed by a field trip and the development of a municipal climate change mitigation plan or a drought emergency plan, which will be monitored during tutorial sessions.
During the field trip, the Faculty’s Field Trip Protocol will be applied. Students will have access to specific safety documentation for activities conducted outside the UAB campus, which they must read and accept.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and active participation in tutorials and field work | 20% | 0 | 0 | CM20, KM29, KM34, SM25 |
| Course work | 45% | 0 | 0 | CM20, SM25 |
| Exam on contents taught in the theoretical sessions | 20% | 1.5 | 0.06 | KM29, KM34 |
| Public presentation of the work | 15% | 0 | 0 | CM20, SM25 |
The course assessment is based on the following components:
- In-person exam on theoretical content (20%)
- Development of a course project (45%)
- Public presentation of the project (15%)
- Field trip and active participation in tutorials (20%)
To pass the course, students must:
- Obtain a minimum grade of 3.5 in each of the three assessable activities, regardless of their weight in the final grade.
- Attend the field trip and tutorials, which are mandatory.
Additionally, students must attend the following compulsory in-person activities to be eligible for final assessment:
- Attendance at tutorials
- Field trip
- Completion of the course project
- Public presentation of the project
- Participation in the assessment and, if applicable, the reassessment
Exam and Assignment Schedule
Exam and assignment submission dates will be communicated to students in advance and cannot be modified individually (except in exceptional and duly justified cases).
Erasmus students requesting to take an exam early must present a written document from their home university justifying the request.
The date of the resit exam will be set by the Faculty and is non-negotiable.
Grade Review
At the time of each assessment activity, the teaching staff will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date for grade review.
Resits
To be eligible for resits, students must have been previously assessed in activities that account for at least two-thirds of the total grade.
Only activities that have been previously assessed and failed may be resubmitted.
The field trip and in-class presentations are not eligible for resit.
Assessment activities with detected irregularities are not eligible for resit.
Non-assessable Students
Students will receive a "Not assessable" grade if they have not submitted any activity or have only submitted the first one. Submitting two or more activities implies that the course has been followed.
Plagiarism or Fraudulent Conduct
If a student commits any irregularity that may significantly affect the grade of an assessment activity, that activity will be graded with 0, regardless of any disciplinary action.
If multiple irregularities are detected in the same course, the final grade will be 0.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence technologies is allowed as part of the project 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, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and final outcome.
Lack of transparency in AI use will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a grade penalty or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Single Assessment
This course does not offer a single-assessment option.
Bibliography
Abellà Masdeu, Ester. SIG per al pacte d'alcaldies. Eina de consulta i presa de decisions. 2020. (1373 Màster Universitari en Geoinformació) <https://ddd.uab.cat/record/231402> [Consulta: 24 juny 2023].
Generalitat de Catalunya i Institut d'Estudis Catalans. (2016). Tercer informe sobre el canvi Climàtic a Catalunya. <http://bit.ly/2kL9PR9> [Consulta: 24 juny 2023].
Webgraphy
Software
To write the report it is necessary to use the GIS tools that the student may have on his computer or use the software available in the computer rooms of the faculty
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 | 1 | 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 |