Planning Theory and Context
PostgraduateCUR-URDE50152027
Course information for 2027 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 May 2027
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 31 May 2027
- Price from
- $3,818
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Planning Theory and Context
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- examine theoretical frameworks relevant to planning by critically interrogating their philosophical foundations, key concepts, and relationships to broader intellectual traditions
- evaluate the relevance of specific planning theories in analysing the origins and development of contemporary planning issues
- use planning theories to critique how different social, political, and geographical contexts shape planning processes and outcomes across diverse case studies
- evaluate diverse planning perspectives to identify opportunities for theoretical innovation and application.
- Planning: justifications and contexts; Theories of urban form and utopian planning; Early utopian planning; Systems (in) planning; Rationality and planning; The communicative turn; Justice in planning; The postmodern turn in planning; The political economy of planning; Nature and environmental perspectives; Post-colonialism and the Global South.
This subject was previously known as URP530 Planning Theory and Context.
This subject critically analyses the dynamic relationship between planning theories and practice within contemporary urban contexts. Students synthesise multiple theoretical frameworks to address current planning challenges, evaluate theory-practice integration and propose innovative approaches for emerging urban issues.
Please Note: If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.
- Submission with Performance (30%)
- Portfolio (30%)
- Report (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Elective
- CUR-FAST-MAS-2027 - Fast track your Curtin on campus study (Postgraduate)
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
CUR-URP530-Planning Theory and Context (no longer available)
Others
Admission to degree is required for enrolment in subject.
Additional requirements
- Equipment requirements - Audio / Video Conferencing
- Software requirements - Standard Media. Web links. Embedded multimedia. Podcasting / Lecture capture. Online assignment submission. Discussion forum/board
- Other requirements - Essential Textbook. Online Assessment. Printable format materials. Resources & Links.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Fast track your Curtin on campus study (Postgraduate)
PostgraduateCUR-FAST-MAS