Print as pdf if you want a pdf! If you want a nicer printout, click off the browser's automatically added header and footer.

Blekinge Institute of Technology
Department of Spatial Planning

Revision: 2
Reg.no:


Course syllabus

Planning and governance for sustainable development

Planning and governance for sustainable development

7.5 credits (7,5 högskolepoäng)

Course code: FM2619
Main field of study: Spatial Planning
Disciplinary domain: Technology
Education level: Second-cycle
Specialization: A1N - Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

Language of instruction: English
Applies from: 2024-09-16
Approved: 2024-09-16

1. Descision

This course is established by Dean 2022-02-16. The course syllabus is approved by Head of Department of Spatial Planning 2024-09-16 and applies from 2024-09-16.

2. Entry requirements

Admission to the course requires a planning-relevant Bachelor degree. English 6.

3. Objective and content

3.1 Objective

The course aims to provide students with applied knowledge and skills in planning for sustainable development. It focuses on critical preconditions for urban sustainability transitions, emphasizing a human-centered, inclusive, and multi-level governance approach. Students will learn about integrated urban planning, the principle of subsidiarity, appropriate legislative frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and the importance of coordinated action. The course also addresses the interrelation of climate change actions with co-development processes and the selection of actions through case studies and best practices.

3.2 Content

  • Fundamentals of sustainable urban planning and governance.
  • Critical preconditions for urban sustainability transitions.
  • Human-centered and inclusive governance approaches.
  • Multi-level governance and policy integration.
  • Legislative frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.
  • Climate change mitigation and resilience in urban areas.
  • Linking climate change actions with sustainable development.
  • Case studies on participation and stakeholder engagement.
  • Best practices for inclusive and coordinated urban sustainability actions.

4. Learning outcomes

The following learning outcomes are examined in the course:

4.1. Knowledge and understanding

On completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Understand the critical preconditions for urban sustainability transitions
  • Identify the roles of integrated urban planning and multi-level governance in sustainability
  • Comprehend the importance of participatory processes
  • Applied co-design approaches in Living Lab case studies

4.2. Competence and skills

On completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Identify and analyse different perspectives on urban sustainability transitions
  • Identify and analyse different perspectives on legislative frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.

4.3. Judgement and approach

On completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Critically assess governance and investment aspects related to climate change actions in urban areas
  • Develop insights into participatory and inclusive approaches for sustainable urban development
  • Evaluate case studies and best practices in the context of urban sustainability

5. Learning activities

The course is conducted online, requiring a commitment of 20 hours per week. It includes synchronous seminars, interactive discussions, case studies, and project work. Students will engage in an active learning environment, emphasizing practical applications and global perspectives.

6. Assessment and grading

Modes of examinations of the course

Code Module Credit Grade
2505 Presentation 3 credits GU
2515 Written assignment 4.5 credits GU

The course will be graded A Excellent, B Very good, C Good, D Satisfactory, E Sufficient, FX Failed result, a little more work required, F Fail.

The information before a course occasion states the assessment criteria and make explicit in which modes of examination that the learning outcomes are assessed.

An examiner can, after consulting the Disability Advisor at BTH, decide on a customized examination form for a student with a long-term disability to be provided with an examination equivalent to one given to a student who is not disabled.

7. Course evaluation

The course evaluation should be carried out in line with BTH:s course evaluation template and process.

8. Restrictions regarding degree

The course can form part of a degree but not together with another course the content of which completely or partly corresponds with the contents of this course.

9. Course literature and other materials of instruction

Hall PA, Soskice D. Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001.

Lah, O. Safe system for sustainable development. Sustain Earth Reviews 7, 9 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-024-00072-z

Olson, Mancur, 1965: The Logic of Collective Action. Public Goods and the Theory of. Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Sovacool BK, Hess DJ. Ordering theories: Typologies and conceptual frameworks for sociotechnical change. Social Studies of Science. 2017;47(5):703–50.

A comprehensive list of course literature and materials, including scholarly articles, case studies, and multimedia resources, will be provided at the start of the course.

This is not a legal document. If you would like a copy of the legal decision regarding this course plan, contact the registrar at Blekinge Institute of Technology.