TCP1027 : Shaping Towns and Cities
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Loes Veldpaus
- Lecturer: Mrs Qianqian Qin, Professor John Pendlebury
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module seeks to:
• introduce students to the context and development of ideas about cities and urban spaces, paying particular attention to the historical emergence and development of planning ideas, their advocates, their outcomes and their influence today;
• provide an overview of planning history to help students understand the development of British towns and cities, within the context of the development of the British planning system - with an introduction on how British planning was exported to other countries during the colonial period (and the impacts of this)
• help students to appreciate the importance of social economic, political and technological factors in shaping urban space.
The content outlined above will - in parallel - provide practice material to teach students a range of academic study skills required for them to complete their degree in Town Planning successfully.
Outline Of Syllabus
The course will be delivered as blended learning with synchronous online and PiP sessions – (unless they need to be moved online). The Lectures are in person, as are the seminars. The skills lectures are online only, so students can prepare at their own speed, and look ahead and back more easily.
The course will include 10 lectures discussing planning history and the emergence and contestation of planning ideas, starting in the early 19th century looking at planning ideas addressing 'urban problems' such as sanitation, sewages, and overcrowding, up to current-day ideas such as participatory planning and environmental sustainability.
The course will include workshop seminars (in smaller TA-led groups) where we will discuss and practice academic skills in relation to reading and writing on topics discussed in the lectures. We address critical reading, finding and analysing academic writings, summarising, comparing, and contrasting literature, assessing other students' work, choosing an essay topic, essay planning, referencing and plagiarism, and essay writing
There is also a half day self-directed field trip
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 9 | 2:00 | 18:00 | planning history lectures |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 6:00 | 66:00 | 6 hours a week, guided learning and assigned readings |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 93:00 | 93:00 | 3 assignments, reading + writing |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Lecture / workshops on note taking, referencing and essay writing skills |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | practice session essay plan |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Film screening |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | small group seminars to practice and discuss note taking, referencing and essay writing skills |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | workshop by Library / Academic Skills |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | in person, self guided tour in Newcastle - with reflective feedback session after |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lectures (focus: knowledge content) and workshops (focus: academic skills) are connected through the material used, and the various skills-related assignments which are designed to help students use written and taught material. The self-guided walking tour connects the lecture content to the reality of the city (Newcastle).
The skills tasks are related to the knowledge content to maximise the interaction between the material (ensure relevance in both directions – skill and knowledge elements).
The formative assessment elements help students build their confidence and an early indication of how they are adjusting to degree-level marking, and early feedback on how they might improve.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 20 | Notes on discussion of reading workshop (linked to workshop) 500 words |
| Essay | 1 | M | 80 | 2,000 written essay |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | Essay Plan Assignment (500 words) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Assignments are linking the skills students are acquiring to the content, and are introduced and discussed in the workshops, and attached to the written essay assignment. The skills related workshops draw on the knowledge content of the module to give students a chance to reflect on the material.
The formative assessment elements help students build their confidence and an early indication of how they are adjusting to degree-level marking, and early feedback on how they might improve.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP1027's Timetable