Assessment 1: Essay – 35% of marks. Deadline: Wednesday 24th November
2021, before 2pm
The first assessment requires an essay of 1,000 words maximum (excluding bibliography and title of
essay).
Student should choose one of the following essay questions to answer:
1. What are the key ‘take home points’ we should derive from the RTPI’s ethical guidance to
planners (https://www.rtpi.org.uk/press-releases/2020/january/code-of-professional-conduct/
and https://www.rtpi.org.uk/membership/professional-standards/professional-ethics/)? In your
response reflect on whether you think the current advice provided by the RPTI is sufficient or
whether it can be improved.
2. Discuss whether you think planning is actually necessary for fair societies, sustainable futures and
efficient markets.
3. Critically discuss the contribution of communicative planning to planning practice.
4. Critically discuss the relevance of ideas about postpolitics for the way in which we manage future
urban development.
Assessment 2: Essay – 65% of marks. Deadline: Wednesday 26th January
2022, before 2pm
The second assessment requires an essay of 1,500 words maximum (excluding bibliography and title
of essay).
Choose one of the following essay questions to answer:
1. Which theoretical debates best help us to understand the evolution of English planning since
2010? You can focus on either the theories that justify the government’s changes or those which
critique it, or both.
2. Critically discuss the strengths and weaknesses of work on developing a Greater Manchester
Spatial Framework in relation to one or more planning theories or urban theories.
3. Critically discuss the emergence of New Urbanism ideas, reflecting in your response on the
implications for countries outside North America.
4. On paper, the pursuit of sustainable development remains a cornerstone of the English planning
system. Drawing on debates in planning theory, urban theory and /or environmental theory,
critically discuss whether we can be proud of planning’s role in supporting sustainable
development, reflecting on the period since 2004 when this goal was declared to be the statutory
purpose of planning.