Course syllabus

Samhällsplanering
Risk Based Land Use Planning

VRSN20, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2017/18
Decided by: PLED BI/RH
Date of Decision: 2017-04-03

General Information

Main field: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
Compulsory for: MKAT1
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

The course will provide the student with sufficient knowledge to allow him/her to participate at early stages in the planning process in such way that risk assessments can be integrated and used to create a basis at a strategic stage of the planning process, with the objective of achieving a resilient society.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• Show a general understanding of the planning process and being familiar with some of the most central concepts related to land use planning.
• Show an understanding of what types of risks being relevant to take into consideration at different levels of land use planning.
• Show an understanding for what actors and interests that are involved in the planning process, and how they interact with questions relating to risk assessment.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• Be able to identify and analyse those risks and vulnerable objects that exist in the studied geographical area and be able to develop input to a plan proposal in such way that existing preconditions are taken into consideration.
• Be able to suggest and argue for well-considered measures that in a planning context contribute to a resilient society.
• Be able to present and discuss relevant risk-related questions in land use planning, verbally as well as in writing, with interested stakeholders.
• Be able to search for, and assess information with a high degree of independence and to assume responsibility that the group work carried out is completed and reported on within given time-frames.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• Demonstrate a capacity to assess and relate to trade-offs between risk-related questions and other interests in land use planning.
• Demonstrate a capacity to assess what type and level of detail of risk-related questions that are most relevant to handle in different planning processes.
• Demonstrate a capacity to reflect on the future professional role relating to risk based land use planning.

Contents

In the project assignment, the student will put into practice his/her knowledge of planning at, above all, the scale-level of comprehensive planning and extended comprehensive plans. However, certain components will be treated at a more detailed scale.

In parallel with the project assignment, there is a related course component with the objective to provide knowledge of how different types of risks can be addressed in land use planning, using risk assessments as a starting point. The project assignment must be designed with consideration of the demands for a resilient society. The course also includes lectures and literature studies aimed at addressing the problem relating to society's vulnerability.

The project work is presented at a public seminar. Teaching is carried out in project form with supporting lectures, consultations, and seminars.

Examination details

Grading scale: UG - (U,G) - (Fail, Pass)
Assessment: Examination is carried out individually through submission of preparatory assignments, oral examination and in group through oral and written reporting of the project assignment and critical review of another project assignment.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Parts
Code: 0118. Name: Individual Assignment.
Credits: 3,5. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Passed individual assignment
Code: 0218. Name: Group Assignment.
Credits: 4. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Passed project assignment
Code: 0318. Name: Oral Examination.
Credits: 0. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Approved oral examination.

Admission

Required prior knowledge: Basic course in risk assessment corresponding to 7,5 ECTS is assumed
The number of participants is limited to: 30
Selection: Guaranteed admission for students on the Master’s Programme in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
The course overlaps following course/s: VBR110, VRSN30, EXTP70

Reading list

• Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T. & Davies, I.: At risk, Nautral hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters. Routledge: New York, 2003.
• Duijm, N., J. : Recommendations on the use and design of risk matrices. Safety Science, Vol. 76, ss. 21-31, 2015.
• Fleischhauer, M.: The role of spatial planning in strengthening urban resilience. H.J. Pasman & I.A. Kirillov (red.), Resilience of Cities to Terrorist and other Threats. Springer: Dordrecht., 2008.

Contact and other information

Course coordinator: Alexander Cedergren, alexander.cedergren@risk.lth.se
Further information: Course VBR110 or VRSN30, Risk Based Land Use Planning, is a compulsory component of the BSc programme in Fire Protection Engineering. Students on this programme must have passed course VBRN45, Risk Assessment in Fire Protection Engineering, or VBR180, Risk Analysis Methods, to be admitted to the course VBR110, VRSN20 or VRSN30 Risk Based Land Planning. Students taking course VBR110, VRSN20 or VRSN30 on the MSc Engineering programme in Risk Management and Safety Engineering or the Master’s programme in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation are assumed to have knowledge corresponding to course VRSN05, Foundations for Risk Assessment and Management, or VBR180, Risk Analysis Methods. Students enrolled on other programmes who wish to take the course must be able to document that they have prior knowledge corresponding to one of the courses mentioned above in order to be admitted. Group assignments require active participation. Each group member must individually be able to account for the content of the assignment. If a group member does not fulfill the demands of the group or ignores hers/his commitment, she/he can be reassigned to another group or get a fail result.