Geography and Planning BA (Hons)

This project-based module focuses on real-world planning projects set within a local context. It asks students to map out their subjective experiences of the urban realm, and to couple these with the kinds of thematic maps used in normative planning practice. Students then focus their attention on a specific site within these maps. By critically engaging with existing development proposals they will produce new insights and proposals.

Liverpool has been described as ‘the world in one city’, and in this module we utilise this unique geographical location to introduce key concepts and practices of human geography. Through a combination of field excursions, lectures and practical exercises, we develop skills of data collection, interpretation and analysis through considering the history, politics and socio-demographic characteristics of the city. The module helps students understand the connection between geographical concepts and real-world examples and is assessed through data analysis practicals and a field-based portfolio exercise.

This module introduces new aspects of geographical thought to the First-Year students which are unlikely to have been encountered via an A level geography syllabus. It also aims to enhance students’ understanding and awareness of complex global issues, focusing on two sub-disciplinary themes in human geography. Exact content will vary each year to reflect changes in the discipline, but broadly, one area will focus on understanding human population changes and geographical data (e.g. health or population geographies), whilst another will explore social, cultural and political approaches to geography (e.g. geopolitics, borders and nation states).

Contemporary Human Geography is a diverse discipline which offers unique insights into many of the most pressing challenges facing the world in the 21st Century. Many of the issues that reach the headlines on a daily basis are inherently geographical and research within human geography makes important contributions to knowledge of a broad range of social, cultural, political, economic, environmental and development challenges. This module provides an introduction to cutting edge debates within contemporary human geography, highlighting the ways in which the discipline contributes to interdisciplinary knowledge production across the humanities and social sciences. Each week, module lectures will provide an introduction to a different sub-disciplinary field, which will be explored with the aid of specific worked examples which encourage students to apply the theoretical issues discussed to ‘real world’ issues. Assessment is by coursework (mid-term essay) and a written exam (end-of-term).

​Economics affects every part of our daily lives. Using contemporary planning issues as our guide, we explore how urban and environmental economics shapes our world, for positive and negative. To do so we will explore the basic economic functions which govern urban thinking, and how economics is used to focus on some of the world’s grand challenges. The module is assessed by coursework and examination.

Town and Country Planning: An Introduction is desgined to provide a gentle introduction into the world of urban planning. To achieve this the module covers three distinct elements. The first covers the history of the town planning movement in Britain from the Victorians through to the modern day. The second provides an overview of the workings of the current planning system. The third explores the practical applications of planning thinking, and provides some early ideas about the kinds of jobs a planner might do. The module is assessment through coursework and exam.

This module provides an exciting introduction to the skills you need as a Planning student. In the first semester, students are introduced to core academic skills, including essay writing, academic referencing, and oral communication. In the second semester, students will undertake a careers and employability exercise, learning about career opportunities in urban and environmental planning and developing a personalised CV that can be used to pursue future career opportunities. Learning and teaching is delivered through lectures, small-group seminars, practical exercises and a residential field class.

Planning is about providing good quality places for people to live in. This is an issue at different scales, from the global through the national to the local, and the community level. This module focuses on the latter; it investigates the factors which affect the quality of places at the neighbourhood scale and the role played by communities. The module features a mixture of interactive learning styles, including lectures, seminars and workshops. In the second half of the module, a real-life project is introduced, building on the skills developed in this and other modules.

This module examines a number of global ‘grand challenges’ facing humans on the planet earth related to climate and environmental change. It will introduce students to core concepts of sustainability and human impacts upon the environment, as well as exploring the range of proposed solutions and mitigation strategies which are available to understand climate and environmental change. The module thus provides a core knowledge base for social and natural scientists who wish to understand environmental change.

This module is designed to appeal to students who would like to live in a better world and are interested in exploring and discussing critical approaches to inequality. Students on the module will gain understanding of the multiple and contested ways in which global challenges and international development are defined and studied. This will include critical attention to uneven processes of development over time and space, particularly related to global environmental change, inequality, and health. Similarly, the module provides a solid foundation and analysis of the historical, political, and economic forces related to globalisation. Students will therefore be critically informed about what globalisation produces for differing communities, cultures, and ecosystems. Students will also gain insight into how varying communities in different places are responding to development, globalisation, environmental injustices, and inequality through both resistance and building alternatives.

The zone of life on earth, or the ‘biosphere’, is a highly dynamic system responding to external pressures including changing human activities. The biosphere obeys a numbers of simple natural principles, but these often interact to create complex and sometimes unexpected responses. Using a wide range of examples we will explore these interactions between organisms and the environment. We will examine how species organise into communities, and how energy and other resources flow through ecosystems. We will explore how ecosystems respond to change, including gradual environmental shifts, sudden disturbance events and the effects of human activities. We will also learn how the key principles of ecology can be applied to conservation. We will assess the current state of the biosphere, and evaluate the major current threats. We will also look towards the future of ecosystems, including whether we can restore degraded habitats, and recreate “natural” landscapes.

This module aims to introduce students to the key methodological debates, and the main qualitative and quantitative methodological techniques that are used in the Social Sciences. In doing so, the module aims to deliver the research skills training that will enable students to successfully complete their field classes and dissertations. Students will be introduced through lecture and lab sessions to core research methods to understand and interpret the world we live in. The module is split into two sections – one qualitative and one quantitative, each with a different assessment. The qualitative section will cover core techniques such as interviews, focus groups and visual analysis, and is assessed through an extended bibliography of current research. The quantitative section will continue the core statistical training for Geographers begun in first year, and is assessed by a report produced through the analysis of a quantitative dataset.

The module aims to introduce students to current and historical debates about the nature, purpose and practice of geography. It compliments Research Skills (ENVS203) and provides a background for all modules in Geography. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the philosophical and conceptual developments within Geography as a discipline and the role of ‘spatial thinking’ in the production of geographical knowledge. The module is delivered using a combination of lectures and seminars and is assessed with a comprehensive single piece of coursework.

The module will develop students’ knowledge of careers and employability with a focus on enhancing employability through tutorial-based exercises. In addition, the module provides a range of research skills required for the planning, implementation, analysis and reporting (written and oral) of independent research projects. Practical training will be provided in a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques across a broad range of geographical and environmental science themes. From this, students should develop a critical awareness as to the advantages and disadvantages of research methodologies in particular contexts.

Plans and policies are key instruments of the planner’s toolkit. This module provides an introduction to the methods and techniques that are used in the preparation and implementation of strategic plans and policies and how these have evolved in time. The module will be delivered through interactive lectures focussing on the theory of plan making drawing on practical examples. The module is assessed through a more theory-focused short essay and a plan review reflecting on the practice of strategic plan making.

​In Urban Morphology & Place-Making various approaches to place-making are discussed in the light of social, aesthetic, functional and environmental aspects. The module introduces urban history and design theories, and you will be assessed on your working knowledge of these throughout the semester via mini quizzes. In hands-on lab and seminar-style sessions you will acquire basic urban design appraisal techniques as well as modelling and presentation skills, used by planners, urban designers and architects today. In small groups, you will undertake an appraisal of an area in central Liverpool. Independent site visits will allow you to evaluate the various qualities of the area. You will express your findings through professional-style plans, 3D models and site photographs and present these in seminar-style sessions.

Cities and regions have undergone tremendous changes over the past decades. In this module students will explore the process of urban restructuring from a social, economic and environmental perspective and its spatial manifestations, looking at the drivers, consequences and policy implications of urban and regional change. The module teaches students the concepts and methods to analyse change and current policy responses. This module will be delivered through lectures, each highlighting a specific theme of urban and regional change and through self-directed learning. The module is assessed through a seminar paper and a written exam.

Environmental concerns have become increasingly pressing over the last few decades, covering pollution, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity and poor quality of life. Overarching all these concerns is the global challenge of climate change. We need to find new approaches to our way of life. This module explores the notion of environmental sustainability particularly from the point of view of urban planning. It is taught through lectures and assessed through an exam focusing on the principles and practices of environmental sustainability, and an individual project in which students develop their own imaginative idea for tackling a particular sustainability problem.

This module, focused around a field class in Ireland, provides practical experience and training in designing, executing, analysing, writing-up and presenting a field research project. Belfast provides an interesting urban area where students can study a variety of political, social and cultural geographical topics. Students choose a topic to research as a short project, and develop their hands-on research experience utilising various methods to explore it. For much of the module you will work as part of a group, providing you in addition with the opportunity to develop team-working and communication skills.

This module, focuses around a field class in Scotland, provides practical experience and training in designing, executing, analysing, writing-up and presenting a field research project. Edinburgh provides an interesting urban area where students can study a variety of political, social and cultural geographical topics. Students choose a topic to research as a short project, and develop their hands-on research experience utilising various methods to explore it. For much of the module you will work as part of a group, providing you in addition with the opportunity to develop team-working and communication skills.

This module, focused around a field class in Scotland’s largest city, provides practical experience and training in designing, executing, analysing, writing-up and presenting a field research project. Glasgow provides an interesting urban area where students can study a variety of political, social and cultural geographical topics. Students choose a topic to research as a short project, and develop their hands-on research experience utilising various methods to explore it. For much of the module you will work as part of a group, providing you in addition with the opportunity to develop team-working and communication skills.

This module explores the need to carefully think about the planning, development and change that affects our rural areas, particularly in terms of the goods and services they provide to a predominantly urban population. The module is taught through lectures and workshops and includes a compulsory residential field class to rural Britain.

The module introduces the principles of geographical information systems and science with a focus on human geography. Examples will be drawn from population geography with components linked to data sources, analysis and visualisation. Students will learn how to use GIS to map population data, to explore social deprivation, geographic inequalities, and commuting patterns, amongst other themes.

This module introduces students to the study of globalisation in the early 21st century. In the 19th and 20th centuries there were big debates between those who think things work best when people are left to decide how they want to live and get what they need by trading with each other, and those who wanted a communist society where people get what they need and contribute what they can to the common good. Of course it did not work out that way, and now for many people free markets, or neoliberalism is the only serious game in town. The course examines those debates before moving on to examine case studies of how they have worked out in practice.

Social and Cultural Geographies are two diverse, interlinked fields within contemporary human geography. Social geography is, broadly, interested in the relationships between social identities, power and space, and cultural geography examines the ways in which meaning is produced through ‘culture’ – social ideas, discourse, performances, objects, art, entertainment, images, music etc. This module will introduce you to these broad themes through a focus on the interrelations between identity, space and power and the ways in which these are produced through cultural forms. This includes exploring a range of social differences and identities such as gender, class, disability, sexuality, body size, race and ethnicity, and exploring representations and modes of engaging with the world including online/virtual space, mobilities, music, TV, and material culture.

The dissertation is a key part of your studies during this final year. It is the equivalent of two standard modules and spans two semesters. It is also the part of your studies that demands the most in terms of personal initiative and organisation. Students will select their own topic and work through an individual research project that culminates in the dissertation itself. It is also the part of your studies that allows you to develop a personal specialism to the fullest extent which you can highlight in your CV and which can therefore be a very rewarding and fulfilling exercise.

This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project into a topic of the choosing, under the supervision of an allocated member of staff. The work-based dissertation additionally involves students working collaboratively with an external organisation on a mutually agreed research topic, thereby providing students with valuable work-related experience.

This module gives students experience of designing, collecting and analysing field data in the North West of England. It will develop students understanding of application of geographic theory to fieldwork whilst focusing on an issue that interests them. The module develops and enhances students research skills developed previously in their degree, whilst also encourages the development of authentic assessment-related skills through the writing of policy briefs or alternatives and the presentation of research findings in a format of the student’s choice. The module has been designed to allow students who may not wish to travel or undertake residential fieldwork to continue to develop their fieldwork skills.

Planning has a long-standing international dimension. Today globalisation and challenges such as climate change and other global policy agendas, focus attention on how planning addresses ecological, social, economic and cultural questions in different parts of the world. On this module you will learn about how planning systems can be characterised; the purposes of comparative planning study; how ‘learning from other countries’ might be approached in a meaningful way; the rise of a ‘global agenda’ for planning through international initiatives such as the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals; different forms of cross border and transnational spatial planning in Europe and other global regions; and, how key planning challenges are being addressed through planning in different places. The module draws on the diverse international experience and expertise of planning staff at Liverpool and features an international residential field class. Assessment is by two individual assignments and one group assignment.

Increasingly recognition of the environmental threats that we all face means that responding to this crisis affects the decisions we all make at a variety of different scales. This module explores the extent to which environmental concerns are taken into account in various decision-making processes involving the public (government), private and third sectors at a variety of different scales, global, European, national and local. The module is assessed by an essay and an open-book exam, which provides students with significant choice to explore those parts of the module they find most interesting.

Whilst for many people, colonialism has ended, we live in a world where the effects of colonialism are still visible. Many academics have taken a critical perspective on these continued legacies, and this field of thought is now broadly known as ‘postcolonialism’. This module explores the social, political and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism as they occur in particular contexts. The module is divided into two sections, one exploring the theoretical ideas of postcolonialism, the other looking at how thinking ‘postcolonially’ helps us to understand the world. Students are assessed through two pieces of coursework, one a theoretically-driven essay on a student-chosen topic, and one, focused on authentic assessment, which analyses the postcolonial aspects of contemporary culture (e.g. a film, book or museum).

This module aims to give students a sustained and critical understanding of the relationship between bodies, space and power, with a particular focus on critical approaches to public health. Building on ENVS275 Social and Cultural Geographies, the module will provide students with an in-depth engagement with critical theory (particularly feminist and poststructural theory) as applied to contemporary and historical examples surrounding public health.

This module will introduce students to the nascent field of Geographic Data Science (GDS), a discipline established at the intersection between Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Data Science. The course covers how the modern GIS toolkit can be integrated with Data Science tools to solve practical real-world problems. Core to the set of employable skills to be taught in this course is an introduction to programming tools for GDS in R and Python. The programme of lectures, guided practical classes and independent study illustrate how and why GDS is useful for social science applications.

This course explores contemporary population dynamics across Europe. Students will explore fertility, mortality and migration dynamics across selected countries in Europe; review explanations for population change; and examine the policy challenges posed by such population change. Students will also explore these debates in a local context through a digital field walk in Liverpool, blending traditional approaches with expanded potentials via technology.

This module introduces students to specific geographical developments in Poland since 1939. The course will be structured around the control and use of space in three key time periods: second world war, socialism, post-socialism. The second world war theme considers the impact of war on population and territory in Poland, and the subsequent contestations surrounding wartime memory within the country, focusing on museums and memorial sites as contested sites of memory. The second section of the course considers the spatial dimensions of everyday life under socialism, including: uses of public and private space, queuing and the shortage economy, imagined geographies of the west, and resistances. The final section investigates changes in Poland since 1989: to what extent the country has ‘returned to Europe’, the impact of shock therapy on social geographies, and how Poland is still working through socialist legacies. Special attention will also be given to Polish migration, before and after EU accession. Ultimately this module enables students to develop an in-depth empirical knowledge of a key site of change in contemporary Europe, while encouraging deep engagement with a range of historical, political, social, cultural and post-socialist geographical readings.

This module examines climate change impacts on humans and ecosystems. The module is designed to give the student a good overview of the strength and weaknesses of climate modelling approaches. Elements of the global carbon cycle are discussed.

This module is designed as a follow-on to ENVS256 ‘Urban Morphology & Place-Making’. Here you will explore some of the themes of urban design and place-making in further depth. Topics covered in this context include health, site planning, inclusive design, sustainability and public realm design. You will develop your design skills and will learn about concepts such as ‘social’ and ‘healthy’ places. You will learn to develop positive design responses and acquire a range of analytical, design and presentational skills required for urban design projects. Assessments are based on, and closely linked to, the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom. You will prepare a contextual study in a small group. Also, as an individual piece of work you will prepare an indicative masterplan for a smaller part of the area. This interactive module is delivered through illustrated lectures, guest talks, design workshops, IT lab sessions, tutorials and a design crit.

What should planners do when things go wrong? What happens to places that have experienced decline? Who is responsible for responding to this decline? The module discusses a broad range of urban issues related to regeneration (e.g. housing, community, health, economies) and equips students with an in-depth understanding of the theory and international case studies of urban regeneration and the ability of planners to generate effective policy responses to areas of decline.

Marine planning is a new approach to the management of the seas and oceans, in the interests of marine nature conservation and the sustainable use of the seas for shipping, energy, fishing, minerals extraction, tourism, etc. It is developing as a means of organising the use of national sea space around the world. This module introduces the theoretical and practical aspects of marine planning for students with interests in spatial planning or marine science and management through a series of lectures. Assessment is by two assignments: a presentation and an essay.

Understanding how the different parts of the planning system relate to each other and to the legal and constitutional framework which underpins that system is a critical part of planning education. This module aims to provide that understanding from both theoretical and practical perspectives, by bringing in practitioners to deliver different sessions and by asking students to research different aspects of planning law and governance in theory and practice.

The module provides students with an introduction to the principles of real estate valuation before going on to pose and answer a series of questions about how the state might regulate built environment outcomes. Having completed this module students will have acquired an in-depth understanding of how real estate developers evaluate site viability and how government’s work with developers to ensure consented development is accompanied by the requisite infrastructure. The module is evaluated by a piece of coursework centred around the evaluation of development proposal and an unseen written examination.

Green Infrastructure planning is essential in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the global context of climate change. The module introduces the field of Green Infrastructure and green space planning by addressing its principles, values, utility, and its multiscale implementation within environmental planning from theoretical and practical perspectives through a series of lectures and guest talks. Students will understand the interconnection between greening and human beings with support from a series of qualitative and quantitative methods. Students will undertake tasks that mirror real-world professional practices, which helps them to learn and practically use the skills they may require to evaluate the role and multiple benefits of Green Infrastructure in real-world planning scenarios. Assessment is through an essay and a project poster.

This module provides insight into social and spatial inequalities, and their inter-relations. The module will consider how and why inequalities might have persisted over time, how social inequalities have specific geographies, and the implications of this unevenness for those who are marginalised. The module is structured through four major themes: for example, inequalities and the labour market; ethnicity and inequalities; spatial understandings of poverty; and theories about inequality. The difficulties in defining and measuring social and spatial inequalities, and how such definitions may relate to broader theories, perspectives or frameworks of relevance are issues covered in the module, as well as how these terms are interpreted and (mis-)represented. The module draws on empirical evidence, theoretical approaches and policy responses. The module provides insight into government responses that aim to combat social and spatial inequalities and related issues in the UK, at the regional and sub-regional level.

Problem solving, critical thinking and creativity are at the heart of this module. You will be provided with an opportunity to take part in a client-based design project and to engage first hand with local communities. The aim of this studio-based module is to lead you through the process of analysing a large site, carrying out necessary contextual studies and preparing an urban design framework and a physical model by means of a realistic design brief. With the help of design professionals, you will learn to understand the inter-relationship of economic feasibility and the urban design development potential of a site. You will work in small teams and on your own to explore a range of design scales. Lectures on specific design aspects and skills will be given at key project stages. Weekly tutorials will give you the guidance and support needed to successfully complete this module, which will be concluded by an exhibition day.

​This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project into a topic of the choosing, under the supervision of an allocated member of staff.

Barcelona is today seen as an important European tourist and business destination. However, before the 1992 Olympics it was seen as a declining industrial city. The changes in the city have had huge consequences, and the long-term sustainability of its tourist based economy is often questioned. As a result, Barcelona’s experience is often seen as something for other cities to learn from, not least because of the much vaunted ‘Barcelona-model’ of cultural led urban development. This module is a fieldwork-based comparative study of Liverpool and Barcelona, based around a 5 day period of field work in Barcelona, alongside research activity in Liverpool throughout the semester. Students will be introduced to the ideas of urban comparative research and will undertake a group fieldwork project on a project that is feasible in both cities. They will explore what Liverpool can learn from Barcelona, and what Barcelona could potentially learn from Liverpool. Group-project work is supplemented by individual components including an extended essay and a piece of ethnographic writing.

This module is designed for students seeking nuanced understandings of the drivers of various struggles for social change and environmental justice, as well as ways in which resistance, contestation, and alternatives are practised. Readings will provide a critical overview of the historical and sociopolitical forces that continue to generate inequality, damage the environment, escalate the climate crisis, and impact the world. Students will examine the complex dynamics and contentious politics that emerge across differing environmental, political, and economic conflicts, as well as evaluate the role of social movements, mutual aid, and collective action in advancing transformative change. Content will also cover various activist strategies, tactics, and forms of protest, revolt, and rebellion.

We live in a youthful world: 41% of the world’s population are under 25. Young people’s experiences of growing up are deeply shaped by dynamics that span the globe and have particular local effects: economic restructuring, environmental change, political conflict, cultural currents. Yet young people are not just passive subjects, rather, their actions are on the frontline of how societies and places are remade for good or ill. This module explores young lives in a variety of global settings. It considers how geographers and others have theorised childhood and youth, and explores the real-world challenges young people face in particular contexts. In doing so, the module aims to enable students to engage with a range of conceptual debates in the social sciences, and to ‘think from’ youth in order to critically examine how power relations are being reproduced or contested around the world. The module will be taught primarily through lectures (broken up with in-class discussions), and one interactive workshop. Assessment will consist of two pieces of coursework: one academic essay, and one web article or podcast script written for a non-academic audience. The module builds on foundations from ‘Social and Cultural Geography’.

You will work on a real-world urban regeneration site, responding to the needs of a client organisation (e.g. local authority or developer) to create a plan that responds to decline and the needs of local residents. The module builds on the previous Urban Regeneration modules to provide a reflective and hands on experience of project work. Your group will identify evidence of regeneration need, consider international best practice examples of regeneration and undertake a planning exercise to design a regeneration plan or policy.