Analytical planning-support approaches for integrated urbanism-mobility planning

Course Description

This interactive course on integrated planning tools provides a comprehensive introduction to planning tools that are essential for analyzing, understanding, and changing cities from both urban and transport perspectives. In particular, the course focuses on leveraging open datasets, spatial analysis and scenario planning to formulate the foundation for effective spatial planning. Participants will be introduced to a variety of tools that facilitate a comprehensive approach, ensuring that transport and land use are seamlessly integrated. Moreover, the course will shed light on how to formulate integrated planning strategies through diverse scenarios that define different priorities, planning and design solutions. 

The course’s objective is to bridge the gap between integrated planning theoretical principles and practice, through demonstrating to participants key tools for employing cohesive integrated planning solutions and strategies.

Keywords: integrated urbanism-mobility planning, Open data, spatial analysis, space syntax, typomorphology, Proximity planning, connectivity planning, participatory planning game

Mini-course key-points: 

• Revisiting key integrated planning principles and implications
• Lecture on the basic concepts and characteristics of planning tools and the importance of open datasets
• Brief lecture on strategic scenario planning to support participants envision creative solutions
• Demonstration of multiple planning tools and strategies with real-life examples
• Hands-on practice, where participants will be requested to formulate their scenarios and deal with a real case study (of their preference) in Europe through an integrated planning perspective. This will help them to acquire significant practical experience.

Learning outcomes: By the end of this mini-course on integrated planning tools, the following learning outcomes are expected:

• Understand the options for pan-European open data which are relevant to integrated spatial planning tools
• Formulate strategic scenarios underpinned with integrated perspectives
• Creative thinking to planning solutions and practices
• Understand how theory could be “translated” into practice
• Teamwork and interaction with individuals coming from different disciplines and background
• Administer urban complexity

Who is this course for: The interactive course on integrated planning is suitable for:

• Students and academics with a keen interest in urban planning, transport systems and environmental sustainability
• Professional and experts dealing with urban, transport and environmental topics
• Policymakers and local administration authorities
• Other actors (such as NGO, groups, collectives) that might aspire to engage in strategic planning

Specific requirements, if any: The participants should have basic prior knowledge of Geographic Information Systems principles and software Furthermore, familiarity with statistics and simple analysis procedures will be a considerable asset.

Information about the course instructors and partners involved:

This mini-course is led by the Department of Geography and Regional Planning of NTUA, and the Sustainable mobility Unit which has adopted an interdisciplinary approach specialising in multiple research fields. Specifically, the main research interests of SMU are urban planning, transport planning, sustainable mobility, urban and transport geography, transport policy and participatory planning. It should be underlined that SMU has embraced an integrated urban and transport planning rationale capable of facing urban complexity and emerging issues.

Instructors´ Names: Yannis Paraskevopoulos, Stefanos Tsigdinos, Ioannis Chatziioannou
Instructors´ Institution: National Technical University of Athens