MPlan Planning

This course has normally included an overseas field trip in year 4, which is an optional part of the course. Please note there is a student contribution towards the cost of the trip depending on the location.

We are committed to attracting and supporting the very best students from all backgrounds to study this course.  

You could be eligible for cash bursaries of up to £2,500 to support your studies. 

Find out about our funding opportunities

In this course unit, we will study the process of development, from project inception, site assessment and initial design through to planning, implementation and scheme disposal.  We will critically consider the interrelationship of the property market, the built form and planning and environmental regulation as different land uses compete with each other for the available supply of resources, to meet the need for both built estate and green space in urban areas.  There is a strong focus on financial appraisal and the importance of financial risk management and viability.  Topics include:

• An overview of the development process
• Actors and motivation
• Site acquisition and assessment
• Property market and demand for development
• Environmental and ecological considerations
• Legal and regulatory constraints
• Options appraisal
• Development design, quality & mix; designing for sustainability
• Development financial appraisal, sensitivity analysis and other risk assessment tools
• Finance & sales and marketing

The course unit aims to:

• Provide a thorough understanding of the issues that need to be considered as part of the process of developing land, with particular emphasis on the assessment of site potential and meeting commercial expectations
• Develop understanding of land use policies and making the best use of land resources through the redevelopment and reuse of previously developed or “brownfield” sites, including existing buildings. 
• Introduce contemporary issues and concerns in property development
• Foster practical experience and understanding of the development process through preparation of individual development proposals for real potential development sites
• Develop competence in financial appraisal and understanding of the concepts of risk and viability in the context of development schemes

The course will involve a series of structured lectures and workshops. Lectures will introduce students to different topics related to property development. Workshops will allow students to work through tasks related to the lecture topics and obtain feedback. Some of the workshops are asynchronous online workshops that are supposed to be completed independently after the related lecture.

Course materials, such as the course guide, assessment brief, lecture PowerPoint slides, workshop material and links to suggested references and readings, are generally available online through VLE. By default, lectures will be recorded by the automatic lecture capture system, and recordings will be made available through the University Video Portal. By default, synchronous workshops will not be recorded due to their interactive format.

Demonstrate comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the development process, actors, drivers and constraints.

Demonstrate sound understanding of the components of a residual development appraisal and the factors affecting viability. 
 

Demonstrate sound capacity for critical thinking and ability to present well-justified arguments, recognising the interconnected nature of development practice

Demonstrate numeracy skills through appreciation of issues around selection, accuracy, uncertainty and approximation with numbers

Communicate ideas effectively through preparation of professional reports

Development proposal including financial appraisal, (3000 words), 100%

Individual summative written feedback will be provided through VLE. Verbal summative feedback is available during office hours.

General Property Development Textbooks - students are recommended to read one of these

Adams, D. and Tiesdell, S. (2012) Shaping Places: Urban Planning, Design and Development. Abingdon: Routledge

Havard, T. (2008) Contemporary Property Development. 2nd ed. London: RIBA Publishing

Isaac, D., O’Leary, J. and Daley, M. (2016). Property development: appraisal and finance. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Isaac, D., O'Leary, J. and Daley, M. (2010) Property Development 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Ratcliffe, J., Stubbs, M. and Keeping, M. (2021). Urban planning and real estate development. 4th ed. Abingdon: Routledge.Ratcliffe, J., Stubbs, M. and Keeping, M. (2009) Urban Planning and Real Estate Development. 3rd ed. Abingdon: Routledge

Reed, R. (2021). Property development. 7th ed. London: Routledge.Reed, R. and Sims, S. (2015) Property Development 6th ed. Abingdon: Routledge

Syms, P. (2010) Land, Development and Design. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Additional texts

Additional texts

Crook, T., Henneberry, J. and Whitehead, C.M.E. (2016). Planning gain: providing infrastructure & affordable housing. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Inc.Byrne, P. (1996) Risk, uncertainty and decision-making in property development 2nd ed London: E & FN Spon

Dent, P., Patrick, M. and Ye, X. (2012). Real estate: property markets and sustainable behaviour. New York: Routledge.

Dubben, N. and Williams, B. (2012). Partnerships in Urban Property Development. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.Dubben, N. and Williams, B. (2009) Partnerships in Urban Property Development. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

Edwards, B.W and Naboni, E. (2013). Green buildings pay: design, productivity and ecology. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.English Partnerships (2006) The Brownfield Guide: a practitioner's guide to land reuse in England. London: English Partnerships

Guy, C. (1994). The Retail Development Process: location, property and planning. London: Routledge

Guy, S. and Henneberry, J. (Eds) (2002) Development & Developers - perspectives on property. Oxford: Blackwell

Jowsey, E. (2011) Real Estate Economics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Muñoz Gielen, D. and Krabben, E. van der. (2019). Public infrastructure, private finance: developer obligations and responsibilities. D. Muñoz Gielen & E. van der Krabben, eds. Milton: Routledge.

Needham, B., Buitelaar, E. and Hartmann, T. (2018). Planning, Law and Economics The Rules We Make for Using Land. 2nd ed. Milton: Taylor & Francis Group.

Tiesdell, S and Adams, D (2011) Urban Design in the Real Estate Development Process. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell

Yudelson, J. and Meyer, U. (2013) The World's Greenest Buildings. Abingdon: Routledge 

 

eAssessment denotes time for directed reading and online exercises (36 hours)

Project supervision denotes assignment surgeries (2 hours)