ABH444 Sustainable Urban Design


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Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:ABH444
Credit points:12
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit develops advanced capability in sustainable urban design as a planning‑led, place‑based discipline. Students engage with real urban and regional contexts to address contemporary planning challenges relating to sustainability, resilience, equity and place quality.

Working with a real regional or local authority context, students analyse urban issues and translate policy, theory and evidence into spatial and strategic propositions that inform decision‑making and future development. The unit emphasises critical reasoning, justification, feasibility and implementation pathways.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Analyse complex urban and regional challenges using planning theory, policy frameworks and principles of sustainable development.
  2. Evaluate place‑based contexts through spatial, social, environmental and economic analysis to inform planning and urban design decisions.
  3. Translate theory, policy and evidence into coherent spatial and strategic urban propositions that address real‑world planning objectives.
  4. Critically justify proposed urban strategies with reference to governance, feasibility, implementation pathways and stakeholder impact.

Content

The unit covers the following key themes and areas of inquiry:

  • Contemporary challenges in urban and regional planning, including sustainability, resilience, equity and place quality
  • Urban design as a discipline, situated between policy, governance and spatial strategy
  • Place‑based analysis of urban and regional contexts, including social, economic, environmental and spatial dimensions
  • Planning policy frameworks, governance structures and decision‑making processes relevant to urban design outcomes
  • Translation of planning theory and evidence into spatial and strategic urban propositions
  • Implementation pathways for urban strategies, including planning instruments, staging and feasibility considerations
  • Interdisciplinary working in urban design practice, with design perspectives contributing to planning‑led outcomes
  • Application of digital and spatial tools (including generative AI), to support planning analysis and communication (at a level appropriate to disciplinary background)

 

Learning Approaches

Through undertaking assessment grounded in real‑world urban and regional contexts, you will engage with planning theory, policy analysis, spatial frameworks and case studies to investigate contemporary urban challenges and develop strategic responses.

Learning activities include facilitated workshops, guided discussions, applied spatial analysis exercises and independent study. Students work with a real client brief drawn from a regional or local authority context, reflecting current professional planning practice. Interdisciplinary exchange is encouraged, with students contributing discipline‑specific strengths within a shared planning framework.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit is provided through a combination of formative and summative approaches designed to support the development of planning judgement and strategic thinking. You will receive feedback through facilitated workshops and discussions, in‑class formative activities, and guided peer and academic feedback during the development of assessment tasks. Written feedback is provided via criteria‑referenced assessment sheets at the completion of each assessment. Whole‑of‑cohort feedback and clarification of common issues are provided through Canvas announcements and in‑class discussions, with opportunities for individual clarification as required.
Where available, high‑level feedback may be provided by the client on the relevance of proposals.

 

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in this unit evaluates your ability to analyse real‑world planning challenges and develop justified spatial and strategic urban responses. The first assessment focuses on understanding context, policy and planning issues within a real client setting, while the second assessment requires the development and justification of a coherent spatial strategy and implementation framework.

Assessment tasks prioritise analytical reasoning, evidence‑based decision‑making, and the alignment of spatial propositions with planning policy and governance considerations. Levels of spatial resolution and representation are expected to be appropriate to disciplinary background, with emphasis on clarity, logic and justification rather than visual refinement alone.

 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Planning and place strategy brief

You will prepare a planning‑led spatial analysis and strategic brief responding to a real urban or regional planning challenge provided by a local or regional authority. The submission should demonstrate understanding of policy context, place‑based issues, sustainability considerations and strategic priorities. Spatial representations should support analysis and reasoning and need not be highly resolved designs.
 
This assessment includes both group and individual components. Students work in groups to develop a shared understanding of the planning context and strategic issues (50%). Each student then completes an individual component that demonstrates their own planning judgement, rationale and contribution to the task (50%).
 
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment.
 
Where GenAI tools are used, students should be able to explain and justify their planning reasoning and spatial decisions if requested.
 
This assessment is eligible for the 48‑hour late submission period and assignment extensions in accordance with QUT’s Student Academic Concessions Policy.
Weight: 40
Length: Group component: equivalent to 2,000–2,500 words (including maps/diagrams and captions) Individual component: equivalent to 1,000–1,250 words
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2

Assessment: Spatial strategy and implementation framework

You will develop and justify a spatial urban strategy that addresses the client’s planning objectives. The submission must demonstrate how proposed interventions could be implemented through planning instruments, governance mechanisms and staged delivery. Outputs combine spatial propositions, explanatory text and implementation reasoning grounded in theory, policy and evidence.
 
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment.
 
Where GenAI tools are used, students should be able to explain and justify their planning reasoning and spatial decisions if requested.

 

This assessment is eligible for the 48‑hour late submission period and assignment extensions in accordance with QUT’s Student Academic Concessions Policy.

 

Weight: 60
Length: Equivalent to 3,500–4,500 words, inclusive of text and spatial material.
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Required and recommended resources will be provided through the learning management system.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit. Prior to any off campus class activities that you may be required to undertake in this unit, a risk assessment will be prepared and made available to you via the unit Canvas site. 

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)

  1. Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
    Relates to: Planning and place strategy brief, Spatial strategy and implementation framework
  2. Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
    Relates to: Planning and place strategy brief, Spatial strategy and implementation framework
  3. Reflect on feedback and experience, and display professional and ethical judgment and initiative.
    Relates to: Spatial strategy and implementation framework