PLAN3005W Rural & Landscape Planning

Academic Year 2023/2024

Rural areas worldwide face complex economic, social and environmental challenges, which interact to produce varied patterns of change and development outcomes. On aggregate, rural regions face problems of decline with out-migration (the rural exodus), an ageing population, agricultural decline, a lower skills base and lower average labour productivity, which then reduces the critical mass needed for effective public services, infrastructure and business development and innovation, thereby creating a vicious circle of decline. However, ‘rural’ is not always synonymous with decline, with accessible rural areas experiencing a population turnaround, while many rural regions have seized the opportunities to build on their existing assets to forge successful new development pathways (the ‘new rural economy’) based on services and consumption. This module examines the nature of rural change, addressing social and economic restructuring while examining changing demands on the rural environment. The module then examines approaches towards rural development and enhancing the economic and social well-being of rural places. Finally, the module will appraise the role of spatial planning in balancing social and economic challenges facing rural areas with managing land-use change and competing demands for rural space and resources. Through seminar-led lectures, guest lectures and independent study, students can critically reflect on contemporary rural planning in different socio-spatial settings.

The key module aims are:

1. To provide an insight into the evolution of rural development.
2. To develop an awareness of various dimensions of rural and landscape planning.
3. To consider various concepts surrounding rural and landscape change.
4. To provide an insight into the role of planning in rural settlement management and landscape conservation.