ASSESSMENT BRIEF
Introduction and assessment question
The assessment for TRP338 is a single piece of assessment with two related parts.
You are encouraged to work on and complete Part One as the module progresses,leaving time to complete Part Two in the assessment period. Your task is ‘to critically assess the form, strengths and limitations of strategic planning for the selected strategic planning area in relation to balanced and sustainable development that meets growth targets and present your alternative solution to the strategic planning challenge and the changes that might need to be made to facilitate your solution’.
Below, is a scenario for strategic planning in the Sheffield area that you are asked to respond to with 2 interrelated pieces of work.
Scenario
The current Conservative Government quickly collapses. In its place is a government that represents a new political movement that prioritises balanced sustainable and strategic development, and planning is seen as a key element of that. All of the major cities are selected as new strategic planning units, with a boundary drawn 10km around the city, sometimes including but sometimes deliberately excluding neighbouring towns and villages. You have been appointed to lead a critical review of prevailing planning and development strategies for that area and come up with a new solution that is in line with the principles of balanced and sustainable development. The work is in part an attempt to identify what might be needed to deliver better strategic planning for the present and future.
The assessment
The study area: a 10km rough circle drawn from Sheffield City Centre (Sheffield Town Hall). Sheffield City Region Central Growth Area (basically includes green belt to the South and East, area between Sheffield and Rotherham, area between Sheffield and Barnsley, M1 corridor, area between Sheffield and Chesterfield). A separate diagram/map will outline the study area in more detail.
The assessment consists of two interrelated parts to be presented as a single piece of assessment:
Part One – critically assess the current strategic planning context and approach
Planning and development of the study area takes place in a context of fragmented pro-growth strategic planning. You will need to look at the relevant aspects of planning and development in Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Chesterfield, the Peak District National Park and also at the Sheffield City Regional Scale. Issues to consider include:
Your analysis should be supported by maps and diagrams. Your analysis should include all areas within the study boundary (including the whole of Sheffield) and acknowledge the need for links to relevant areas adjacent to and outside the study boundary. Suggested word count for Part One: 1500-2000 words
Part Two: Your response
You should set out your preferred solution to meeting targets (to be specified) for new houses, employment land (of different types) and associated infrastructure,retail and services to achieve balanced and sustainable growth, maximising the potential of key present and future assets. Your analysis should cover the potential for regeneration and/or densification of existing urban areas.
You should engage with your plan one analysis but you are free to retain or modify some aspects of development or suggest that particular developments and plans are reversed or abandoned. You are free to propose radical solutions that are not easily achieved in the current planning context, but you will need to explain how they will work and what they will require.
We do not expect you do consider everything that could possibly be done (that would be too complicated). But we do expect you to:
Nature recovery
These issues will be explored further in lectures.
Part Two should include a section explaining what might need to change to facilitate your alternative (e.g. financing, development models, governance, political attitudes to planning, planning policy).
There are therefore four elements to Part Two:
1.The vision and sustainable development for your strategy (responding to climate change, housing and economic drivers, environment capacity (incl. flooding);
2.Identification of major sites for development, who will deliver, when/how;
3.Idenmtification of infrastructure required, who will deliver, when, how (thinking broadly about transport, but also services, facilities, green infrastructure;
Your new strategy might prioritise a particular approach e.g. exploring what a zerocarbon strategy might look like and require; emphasising transport connectivity and what that might require; a socially balance strategy. Please discuss ideas with the teaching team. Suggested word count for Part Two: 2000-2500 words.
Assessment criteria
The assessment will test:
Format and word limits
The report should be no longer than 4000 words. Information can be put into tables and diagrams that do not count towards the word count and you are encouraged to include maps, diagrams and other visual material. The report is likely to combine prose-based textual analysis with elements of report format (including the use of bullet points) and students will need to think carefully about how best to present the various elements of analysis. The assessment should be appropriately referenced and academic/secondary reading will be needed to back up and support the critical analysis and creative proposals. The practical elements will need to reference and show awareness of appropriate policy documents. Guidance will provided on referencing during teaching sessions.
Learning resources
There is a core reading list on Blackboard and additional specific reading will be suggested for each teaching session and there will be support sessions for the assessment. You are encouraged to read round the topic making use of the wide range of policy literature and examples that are available on the internet as well as academic sources.
How you will receive feedback on your work
Feedback on assessed work will be given in the form of a comment sheet, which will indicate the main strengths and weaknesses of the work and highlight ways in which performance can be improved. In accordance with the University’s Principles ofAssessment, students will normally receive written feedback on coursework within 3 weeks of final submission, and you will be given the opportunity to discuss this with the Module Coordinator.
