Enhancing experiential learning in planning education through an online toolkit of resources

This paper reports on the development of an online toolkit of resources to support the use and assessment of experiential learning (EL) across planning programs. Planning graduates face diverse workplace demands with expectations to address the local and regional implications of global trends, integrate technological advances with existing planning processes, as well as interpret and integrate changing legislative and institutional arrangements. Planning education is about educators, practitioners and students coming together. Equipping students for increasing complexity and change requires planning educators to design programs that facilitate the learning of personal and professional skills and both broad and specialised planning knowledge. Planning practitioners, in partnership with educators, make further valuable contributions by providing a range of ‘real world’ learning experiences where students can directly develop new skills, knowledge and qualities. Experiential learning allows students to develop confidence within a safe environment through a series of activities and reflection that link theory to practice. However, developing EL learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment can be demanding and time consuming for planning educators. In response, the Experiential Learning in Planning Education: Resources and Tools for Good Practice research project developed an online toolkit of case studies and associated resources to assist planning educators and practitioners in their application of EL. These case studies, developed by the partners in the project, explain the rationale of using particular EL activities based on a set of EL principles; how these activities are assessed; and reflections on how they could be improved for future use. The case studies also include numerous ‘how to’ resources, such as checklists and handy hints for organising activities, evaluation tools and examples of students’ work. Furthermore, the toolkit website is an interactive and ‘living’ repository where additional case studies by other EL users can be included to enhance the diversity and richness of the resources available. The toolkit is expected to particularly benefit new planning educators but should also be of interest to planning schools and practitioners around the globe who are endeavouring to facilitate students’ education in a rapidly changing world

The decline and rise of urban agriculture: Can urban agriculture deliver on multiple urban planning and policy fronts?

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research. This paper was presented at SOAC 4 held in Perth from 24 to 27 November 2009. SOAC 4 was hosted by the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University and held at The University of Western of Australia’s Crawley campus.SOAC 4 was a collaborative venture between colleagues from the planning, geography and related disciplines across the four public universities. The meta-theme of this conference - city growth, sustainability, vitality and vulnerability – sought to capture the dynamic and complex nature and contexts in which Australian cities find themselves in the early 21st century. The last decade or so has seen Australian cities and many of their residents benefit from significant economic prosperity. With this economic prosperity, largely on the back of a resources boom, Australian cities and resources and mineral-rich regions, particularly in Queensland and in WA, have been subjected to profound demographic, social, economic, environmental and political changes. In the wake of the so-called ‘global financial crisis’ we have witnessed the rise of what might be called ‘neo-Keynesianism’ as various liberal democratic nations have pumped billions of dollars into their national economies via ‘bail outs’ or a stimulus package’ in an effort to stave off economic recession. The economic prosperity and more recent uncertainty that has been experienced in the last decade provides a fascinating and dare we say it a timely backdrop to critically reflect on the condition of urban Australia. All published papers have been subject to a peer reviewing process

Australia's regional centres: Are they part of the nation's network of cities or only when it matters politically?

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research. This paper was presented at SOAC 5held in Melbourne from 29 November – 2 December 2011. SOAC 5 was hosted by the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology and Latrobe University as well as the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the Grattan Institute, the Victorian State Government and the City of Melbourne. Three plenary panels brought researchers from across the country to address ‘big issues’: place-based disadvantage, the design and form of Australian cities, and metropolitan governance. Over 175 papers, in 46 themed sessions, cover topics ranging from planning and governance for environmental sustainability, to housing affordability and adequacy in the context of an aging population. Healthy communities, better public transport, high quality open space, participatory planning, and issues affecting the peri-urban fringe are also strong sub-themes within this conference. All published papers have been subject to a peer reviewing process

Delineating contributing areas for karst springs using NEXRAD data and cross-correlation analysis

The use of cross-correlation analysis on spring discharge and precipitation data in karst aquifer basins has been used for many years to develop a conceptual understanding of an aquifer and estimate aquifer properties. However, to this point, the application of these processes has relied on gaged precipitation at discrete locations. The use of spatially varying precipitation data and cross-correlation analysis provides a means of spatially characterizing recharge locations on a karst aquifer. NEXRAD provides a spatial estimate of precipitation based by combining reflectivity measurements from radar stations and traditional precipitation gages. This study combines NEXRAD precipitation data with spring discharge data to develop maps of contributing areas for two karst springs in Central Texas. By calculating the cross-correlation of each NEXRAD measurement to spring flow data for the same period of time a map showing the locations hydraulically connected to the spring can be developed. Both numerical experiments and field applications were conducted as part of the study. The numerical experiments conducted by Padilla and Pulido-Bosch are revisited using the numerical groundwater model MODFLOW. This allowed the introduction of spatially varying parameters into the model. The results show that spatially varying parameters can be inferred based on the results cross-correlation of spatially varying precipitation with respect to a single spring discharge location. Also, contributing area maps are prepared for both Barton Springs and Jacob’s Well. Barton Springs has a precise estimate of the recharge area. The current map of the recharge area and the NEXRAD derived map show good agreement with the cross-correlation results. Conversely, Jacob’s Well has not been sufficiently studied to delineate a contributing area map. This study provides an preliminary estimate of the area contributing to flow at Jacob’s Well. Finally, the development of these maps can also be applied to the construction of regional groundwater models

Delineating contributing areas for karst springs using NEXRAD data and cross-correlation analysis

textThe use of cross-correlation analysis on spring discharge and precipitation data in karst aquifer basins has been used for many years to develop a conceptual understanding of an aquifer and estimate aquifer properties. However, to this point, the application of these processes has relied on gaged precipitation at discrete locations. The use of spatially varying precipitation data and cross-correlation analysis provides a means of spatially characterizing recharge locations on a karst aquifer. NEXRAD provides a spatial estimate of precipitation based by combining reflectivity measurements from radar stations and traditional precipitation gages. This study combines NEXRAD precipitation data with spring discharge data to develop maps of contributing areas for two karst springs in Central Texas. By calculating the cross-correlation of each NEXRAD measurement to spring flow data for the same period of time a map showing the locations hydraulically connected to the spring can be developed. Both numerical experiments and field applications were conducted as part of the study. The numerical experiments conducted by Padilla and Pulido-Bosch are revisited using the numerical groundwater model MODFLOW. This allowed the introduction of spatially varying parameters into the model. The results show that spatially varying parameters can be inferred based on the results cross-correlation of spatially varying precipitation with respect to a single spring discharge location. Also, contributing area maps are prepared for both Barton Springs and Jacob’s Well. Barton Springs has a precise estimate of the recharge area. The current map of the recharge area and the NEXRAD derived map show good agreement with the cross-correlation results. Conversely, Jacob’s Well has not been sufficiently studied to delineate a contributing area map. This study provides an preliminary estimate of the area contributing to flow at Jacob’s Well. Finally, the development of these maps can also be applied to the construction of regional groundwater models. An application of this methodology with the groundwater availability model for the Barton Springs portion of the Edward’s aquifer is introduced. The application of spatial cross-correlation analysis to constrain recharge in the model showed a reduction in the objective function with respect to discharge at Barton Springs of 15%.Geological Science

What About Australia's Small Cities: Do They Have Their Own Planning and Development Agenda?

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research. This paper was presented at SOAC 3 held in Adelaide from 28 to 30 November 2007. SOAC 3 was jointly hosted by the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. Themes and Key Persons SOAC 3 focused on the contemporary form and structure of Australian cities. The conference proceedings were grouped into six key sub-themes, each the focus of one of more conference sessions: City Economy - economic change and labour market outcomes of globalisation, land use pressures, changing employment locations. Social City – including population, migration, immigration, polarisation, equity and disadvantage, housing issues, recreation. City Environment - sustainable development, management and performance, natural resource management, limits to growth, impacts of air, water, climate, energy consumption, natural resource uses, conservation, green space. City Structures – the emerging morphology of the city – inner suburbs, middle suburbs, the CBD, outer suburbs and the urban-rural fringe, the city region. City Governance – including taxation, provision of urban services, public policy formation, planning, urban government, citizenship and the democratic process. City Infrastructure – transport, mobility, accessibility, communications and IT, and other urban infrastructure provision. Paper Review Process Conference papers published from SOAC 3 were produced through a process of integrated peer review. There were originally 147 abstracts proposed, 143 were invited to submit papers and 107 papers were finally published

I’ll have my city medium thanks. What do medium sized cities offer an urban planning and policy agenda?

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research. This paper was presented at SOAC 4 held in Perth from 24 to 27 November 2009. SOAC 4 was hosted by the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University and held at The University of Western of Australia’s Crawley campus.SOAC 4 was a collaborative venture between colleagues from the planning, geography and related disciplines across the four public universities. The meta-theme of this conference - city growth, sustainability, vitality and vulnerability – sought to capture the dynamic and complex nature and contexts in which Australian cities find themselves in the early 21st century. The last decade or so has seen Australian cities and many of their residents benefit from significant economic prosperity. With this economic prosperity, largely on the back of a resources boom, Australian cities and resources and mineral-rich regions, particularly in Queensland and in WA, have been subjected to profound demographic, social, economic, environmental and political changes. In the wake of the so-called ‘global financial crisis’ we have witnessed the rise of what might be called ‘neo-Keynesianism’ as various liberal democratic nations have pumped billions of dollars into their national economies via ‘bail outs’ or a stimulus package’ in an effort to stave off economic recession. The economic prosperity and more recent uncertainty that has been experienced in the last decade provides a fascinating and dare we say it a timely backdrop to critically reflect on the condition of urban Australia. All published papers have been subject to a peer reviewing process