Town and Regional Planning MPlan

Program Overview

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The Town and Regional Planning MPlan program at the University of Liverpool prepares students for a career in urban, regional, and environmental planning. The program offers two pathways: Transforming Cities and Regions and Spatial Planning for Environmental Change. Students benefit from an interdisciplinary approach, research-led teaching, and practical experience through field classes, place-based projects, and a planning practice placement. Graduates are well-equipped for careers in planning and environmental consultancies, transport planning, economic development, environmental management, and GIS and data science.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The Town and Regional Planning MPlan program is designed for individuals seeking a professional career in urban, regional, and environmental planning. It offers two distinct pathways: Transforming Cities and Regions and Spatial Planning for Environmental Change. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon expertise from Planning, Geography, Sociology, and Architecture departments. It aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of urban and rural development, including the challenges and opportunities presented by a rapidly changing world. The program is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), enabling graduates to fast-track into the planning profession.

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Outline:

The MPlan program is a four-year integrated master's degree, providing a more in-depth understanding of planning practice than a one-year intensive master's program. It combines undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single course.

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Year One:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Community Planning (ENVS102): Focuses on planning at the neighborhood scale, investigating factors affecting place quality and the role of communities.
• Contemporary Town Planning (ENVS152): Project-based module exploring real-world planning projects within a local context.
• Ecology and Conservation (ENVS157): Examines the biosphere, its dynamics, and human impacts, including conservation strategies.
• Town and Country Planning: An Introduction (ENVS110): Provides an overview of the history, workings, and practical applications of the planning system in Britain.
• Understanding Place (ENVS105): Introduces core academic skills, including essay writing, referencing, and oral communication, along with career exploration in planning.
• Urban and Environmental Economics (ENVS155): Explores how urban and environmental economics shape our world, focusing on contemporary planning issues.
• Optional Modules:
• CONTEXT 1.1: HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE (ARCH171): Survey course on the history of architecture.
• Human Geography Through Merseyside (ENVS162): Utilizes Liverpool's diverse geography to introduce key concepts and practices of human geography.
• Living with Environmental Change (ENVS119): Examines global challenges related to climate and environmental change, exploring sustainability and mitigation strategies.
• New Horizons in Human Geography (ENVS116): Introduces new aspects of geographical thought, focusing on population changes and social, cultural, and political approaches to geography.
• Research Frontiers in Human Geography (ENVS161): Provides an introduction to cutting-edge debates within contemporary human geography.
• Global Challenges: Development, Inequality, Alternatives (ENVS144): Explores critical approaches to inequality, examining global challenges and international development.

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Year Two:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Cities and Regions (ENVS230): Explores urban restructuring from social, economic, and environmental perspectives, analyzing drivers, consequences, and policy implications.
• Environmental Sustainability (ENVS218): Examines the concept of environmental sustainability within the context of urban planning, focusing on cleaner, more energy-efficient, and climate-adapted places.
• Rural Planning (ENVS289): Explores the planning, development, and change affecting rural areas, considering their role in providing goods and services to urban populations.
• GIS for Planners (ENVS279): Develops skills in using GIS for planning applications, exploring real-world case studies.
• People and Place (ENVS205): Focuses on the relationships between people and the places they inhabit, developing research skills through real-life issues in Liverpool and its region.
• Strategic Plan Making (ENVS210): Introduces methods and techniques used in preparing and implementing strategic plans and policies.
• Urban Morphology and Place-Making (ENVS256): Discusses various approaches to place-making, exploring urban history, design theories, and appraisal techniques.
• Optional Modules:
• [No optional modules listed for Year Two]

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Year Three:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Planning and Property Development (ENVS369): Introduces real estate valuation principles and explores how the state regulates built environment outcomes.
• Planning Law and Governance (ENVS348): Provides an understanding of the planning system's legal and constitutional framework, both theoretically and practically.
• International Planning Studies (ENVS378): Explores the international dimension of planning, including planning systems, comparative planning study, and approaches to global planning challenges.
• Optional Modules:
• Urban Design Studies (ENVS312): Explores urban design and place-making in depth, covering topics like health, site planning, inclusive design, and sustainability.
• Politics of the Environment (ENVS325): Examines how environmental concerns are considered in decision-making processes across different sectors and scales.
• Marine Planning Theory and Practice (ENVS341): Provides an introduction to the theoretical and practical foundations of marine planning.
• Geographic Data Science (ENVS363): Introduces Geographic Data Science, integrating GIS and Data Science tools to solve real-world problems.
• Building Better Worlds (ENVS387): Surveys how geographers and others have theorized protest, resistance, and strategies for social change.
• Contemporary Population Dynamics (ENVS311): Explores contemporary population dynamics across Europe, examining fertility, mortality, and migration trends.
• Green Infrastructure Planning (ENVS345): Introduces the field of Green Infrastructure and green space planning, highlighting its principles, values, and utility within urban planning.
• Social and Spatial Inequalities (ENVS357): Provides insight into social and spatial inequalities, considering their causes, persistence, and implications for marginalized communities.
• Urban Design Project (ENVS359): Offers a client-based design project, engaging students in analyzing a site, developing an urban design framework, and creating a physical model.
• Climate Change - A Critical Review (ENVS389): Examines climate change impacts on humans and ecosystems, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of climate modeling approaches.
• Environmental Assessment of Policies, Plans, Programmes and Projects (ENVS329): Introduces the environmental assessment process and applied methods and techniques.
• Urban and Regional Regeneration (ENVS336): Discusses urban regeneration issues and equips students with an understanding of regeneration theory, international case studies, and policy responses.
• Environmental Planning and Management Project (ENVS360): Offers a client-led project, allowing students to apply their knowledge of Environmental Assessment and Management in practice.
• Urban and Regional Regeneration Project (ENVS384): Provides a hands-on experience of project work, focusing on a real-world urban regeneration site.

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Year Four:

• Compulsory Modules:
• MPlan Dissertation (ENVS494): A two-semester module requiring students to conduct independent primary research and write a 10,000-word dissertation on a chosen topic.
• Planning in Practice (ENVS426): A whole-year module designed to help students transition into planning practice, featuring practitioner-led sessions and insights into career opportunities.
• Spatial Planning and Design Project (ENVS467): A project-based module where students work with a client to develop a strategy for improving a selected area.
• Theory, Power and Ethics (ENVS432): Focuses on the institutional perspective on planning and relevant theories for understanding the role and purposes of planning.
• Planning Practice Placement (ENVS448): A module integrating taught elements with real-world experience through a professional placement in a planning-related agency.

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Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Exams
• Essays
• Computer-based exercises
• Oral presentations
• Policy briefs
• Poster presentations
• Field projects
• Research reports
• Design work
• Group work
• Seminar presentations and papers
• Dissertation or project module in the final year

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Teaching:

The program emphasizes research-led teaching, incorporating the latest planning theory and practice into the classroom. Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Field classes
• Place-based projects
• Specialized training in GIS, mapping, and urban design

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Careers:

Graduates of the MPlan program are well-equipped to enter the dynamic planning profession. Potential career paths include:

• Planning and environmental consultants
• Transport planning and urban regeneration
• Economic development
• Environmental management
• GIS and data science specialists
• Social housing

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Other:

• The program offers a year abroad option, allowing students to spend an academic year at one of the University's partner universities.
• The program has a flexible approach, allowing students to transfer between programs within the first two years if their interests or career aspirations change.
• The School of Environmental Sciences provides a budget of up to £200 for field/lab-based projects.
• The program includes a compulsory residential field trip in Year One.
• The program encourages students to undertake internships or placements with planning agencies throughout their studies.
• The program benefits from the expertise of academic staff who are leading global discussions in spatial planning, planning economics, marine planning, and environmental assessment and management.
• The Department edits two respected peer-reviewed academic journals (Town Planning Review and Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal) and hosts the Centre for Sustainable and Resilient Cities and the Environmental Assessment and Management Centre.

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UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)

• Full-time place, per year
£9,250
• Year in industry fee
£1,850
• Year abroad fee
£1,385 International fees
• Full-time place, per year
£24,800
• Year abroad fee
£12,400 Fees shown are for the academic year 2024/25. Please note that the Year Abroad fee also applies to the Year in China. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.