MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING (MSc[UrbanPlanning])
(See also General Regulations, pp. 1 to 16)
Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (BA[ArchStud])
Bachelor of Science in Surveying (BSc[Surv])
Master of Architecture (MArch)
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Master of Science in Urban Planning (MSc [UrbanPlanning])
Master of Science in Construction Project Management (MSc [ConstProjectMan])
Master of Science in Real Estate (MSc[RealEst ])
Master of Urban
Design
(MUrbanDesign)
Master Degree Programmes in Construction Project Management, Real Estate and Urban Design
Ar 25 Admission requirements
To be eligible for admission to the courses leading to the degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning a candidate
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shall comply with the General Regulations; | |
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shall hold | |
| (i) | a Bachelor's degree with honours of this University; or | |
| (ii) | another qualification of equivalent standard from this University or from another university or comparable institution accepted for this purpose; and | |
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shall satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination if required. | |
A candidate who does not hold a Bachelor's degree with honours of this University or another qualification of equivalent standard may in exceptional circumstances be permitted to register if he demonstrates adequate preparation for studies at this level and satisfies the examiners in a qualifying examination.
Ar 26 Qualifying examination
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A qualifying examination may be set to test the candidate's formal academic ability or his ability to follow the courses of study prescribed. It shall consist of one or more written papers or their equivalent and may include a project report. |
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A candidate who is required to satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination shall not be permitted to register until he has satisfied the examiners in the examination. |
Ar 27 Award of degree
To be eligible for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning a candidate
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shall comply with the General Regulations; and |
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shall complete the curriculum and satisfy the examiners in accordance with the regulations set out below. |
Ar 28 Length of curriculum
The curriculum shall extend over not less than two academic years of full-time study, or three academic years of part-time study, with a minimum of 300 hours of prescribed work.
Ar 29 Completion of curriculum
To complete the curriculum a candidate
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shall follow courses of instruction and complete satisfactorily all prescribed written work and practical work where appropriate; | |
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shall satisfy the examiners in each of the following courses: | |
| (i) | the four Specialization Courses selected from a list approved from time to time; | |
| (ii) | the following eight Core
Courses:
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shall attend the Urban planning workshops I and II and present satisfactory reports in the form prescribed by the examiners; and | |
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shall present a dissertation on an approved topic in their final year of study. | |
Ar 30 Dissertation
The title of the dissertation shall be submitted for approval by June 1 in the academic year preceding the final year of study. The dissertation should be of approximately 15,000 words in length and shall be presented no later than June 30 in the candidate's final year of study. The candidate shall submit a statement that the dissertation represents his own work undertaken after registration as a candidate for the degree. The examiners may also prescribe an oral examination on the subject of the dissertation.
Ar 31 Examinations
A full-time candidate
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who has failed to satisfy the examiners in not more than half the number of courses followed in the first academic year of study may be permitted to present himself for re-examination in the course or courses of failure at a specified subsequent date; |
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who has failed to satisfy the examiners in any of the courses followed in the second academic year of study, and has presented a satisfactory dissertation and workshop report, may be permitted to present himself for re-examination in the course or courses of failure at a specified subsequent date; |
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who has satisfied the examiners in all the courses but has presented an unsatisfactory workshop report may be permitted to revise the workshop report and re-present it by a specified subsequent date; |
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who has satisfied the examiners in all the courses and has presented satisfactory workshop reports but has presented an unsatisfactory dissertation may be permitted to revise the dissertation and re-present it by a specified subsequent date. |
A part-time candidate
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who has failed to satisfy the examiners in not more than half the number of courses followed during the first or second academic year of study may be permitted to present himself for re -examination in the course or courses of failure at a specified subsequent date; |
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who has satisfied the examiners in all the courses but has presented an unsatisfactory workshop report may be permitted to revise the workshop report and re-present it by a specified subsequent date; |
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who has satisfied the examiners in all the courses and has presented satisfactory workshop reports but has presented an unsatisfactory dissertation may be permitted to revise the dissertation and re-present it by a specified subsequent date. |
Ar 32 A candidate who is unable because of illness to be present for any paper or papers of the written examinations held in the first academic year of study if he is full-time, or in the first or second academic year of study if he is part-time, may apply for permission to present himself at a supplementary examination in the paper or papers to be held before the beginning of the following academic year. Any such application shall be made on the form prescribed within two weeks of the first day of the candidate's absence from any examination.
Ar 33
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A candidate who is not permitted to present himself for re-examination in any course or courses in which he has failed to satisfy the examiners or to revise and re-present his workshop report or dissertation shall be deemed to have failed and shall be recommended for discontinuation of studies under the provisions of General Regulation G 12. |
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A candidate who has failed to satisfy the examiners in a second attempt in any course or courses or in his workshop report or dissertation may be recommended for discontinuation of studies under the provisions of General Regulation G 12. |
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A candidate who has not satisfactorily completed the practical work where required within the prescribed period at the end of the teaching programme shall be required to repeat all or any part of that practical work and to present himself for re-assessment by a specified date, and if he again fails to satisfy the examiners, shall be recommended for discontinuation of studies under the provisions of General Regulation G 12. |
Ar 34 Examination results
At the conclusion of the examination a pass list shall be published in alphabetical order. A candidate who has shown exceptional merit at the whole examination may be awarded a mark of distinction, and this mark shall be recorded on the candidate's degree diploma.
SYLLABUSES FOR THE DEGREE
OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING
The Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management offers a postgraduate course leading to the degree of Master of Science in Urban Planning.
A. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The curriculum shall extend over two academic years of full-time study or three academic years of part -time study, and shall include examinations for twelve courses, the Urban planning workshops I and II and a dissertation .
A candidate is required to follow courses of instruction and satisfy the examiners in each of the following eight Core Courses:
- Theories of urban development
- Quantitative methods for urban analysis
- Urban planning models and techniques
- Planning theories
- Planning practice and administration in Hong Kong
- Introduction to urban planning
- Planning and the development process
- Planning, environment and sustanability
and in four Specialization Courses selected from a list approved from time to time. Specialization Courses will be organized into a number of subject streams, not all of which may be offered in each academic year. A candidate is required to select a minimum of two courses from any one stream. The two other required optional courses may be selected from any of the streams offered. A candidate's selection of courses shall be approved by the Director of the Centre. In addition, a candidate is required to complete satisfactorily the Urban planning workshops I and II , and present before June 30 in the final year of study a dissertation of approximately 15,000 words.
B. EXAMINATIONS
Each of the courses followed by a candidate is
examined either by a written examination paper, or by an
assessment of coursework, or by a combination of these
methods.
A full-time candidate
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shall follow eight courses in the first academic year of study and shall attend the Urban planning workshop I; and |
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shall follow four courses in the final academic year of study and shall attend the Urban planning workshop II, and shall present a dissertation by the prescribed date. |
A part-time candidate
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shall follow six courses in the first academic year of study; |
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shall follow a minimun of four and a maximum of six courses in the second year of study and shall attend the Urban planning workshop I; and |
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shall follow a maximum of two courses (up to the required total of twelve courses, of which eight are Core Courses and four are Specialization Courses) and shall attend the Urban planning workshop II in the final year of study, and shall present a dissertation by the prescribed date. |
A part-time candidate wishing to defer a course or courses to his or her final year of study shall seek the approval of the Director of the Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management.
C. SYLLABUSES
Urban Planning Core Courses
Students are required to take all Core Courses:
83820. Theories of urban development
The course review theoretical frameworks for the understanding of urban development processes. It analyses spatial, socio-economic and political dimensions of urban activities. The topics that will be discussed include: the relation between capital accumulation and urban development; the role of state and public policy; the dynamics of urbanization in the contemporary world system.
83824. Planning theories
Top-down planning traditions for societal guidance and bottom-up planning modes such as advocacy planning, social learning and radical planning for social transformation are examined in this course. To compare and contrast these modes of planning, discussion will focus on their theorization on the role of planning in society, relationships between planners and other actors, the type of knowledge relevant in the planning process, and the relationships between the state and civil society.
83825. Planning practice and administration in Hong Kong
This course provides a detailed understanding of the professional planning practice in Hong Kong. It deals with the practical dimensions of planning including: planning principles, history, policies, strategies, procedures, administration, legislations and common law.
83840. Quantitative methods for urban analysis
This course examines the use of statistical methods and information technology in urban analysis. It covers the fundamentals of descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistical techniques such as surveys, sampling, hypothesis testing, times series, regression analysis, cluster and factor analysis.
83843. Urban planning models and techniques
This course examines the analytical models and management techniques commonly used to assist decision-making in the urban field and will focus on some selected models and techniques: population estimation, social and spatial analysis, economic base and multiplier analysis, optimization methods, system simulation and dynamics, project appraisal and planning, programme evaluation, urban and regional modelling and urban policy analysis.
83853. Introduction to urban planning
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the nature, functions and techniques of urban planning. It examines the relationship between land use development and the overall urban development process, and the role of physical planning as a tool for achieving desired objectives. It addresses a range of aspects affecting urban land use change; planning design standards; plan-making; development control; and plan implementation and monitoring. It also focuses on the interrelationships between key urban activities in the urban planning process.
83867. Planning and the development process
Planning in a development process needs to take into account the spatial and sectoral dimensions. This course examines how planning is applied in industrial, housing, transport, infrastructure and land development. The intersectoral and spatial implications of planning in these sectors will be explored through case studies of planning at different geographical scales.
83868. Planning, environment and sustainability
This course focuses on the interface between planning systems and environmental management using the concept of sustainable development as an integrating conceptual framework. The evolution of the concept of substainability is discussed and attention is focused on the development and use of sustainability indicators, policies for sustainability and the transition to sustainable development paths.
Urban Planning Specialization Streams and Courses
(Not all specialization streams and courses are available each year. Applicants should consult the Centre for further information.)
Stream I. Transport Policy and Planning
05423. Public transport systems
This course is designed to examine the nature and the role of public transport systems in mainly the urban context with special reference to high density development. The topics will include, among others, the nature and characteristics of passenger transport, the operation and management of public transit system, deregulation and privation, the function of para-transit, and multi-modal operation and competition.
83830. Methods and techniques in transport planning
This course focuses on the transport planning process and examines the following: traffic generation forecasts; spatial patterns of traffic; modal split models; traffic assignment methods; transport evaluation; network and local planning; traffic engineering considerations and basic transport economics.
83831. Transport policy and planning
This course focuses on key issues in transport policy and the implementation of transport plans and programmes. It examines the role of private and public modes within the overall urban transport system as well as pedestrian movement planning, airport development and seaport development. The course uses examples drawn from various countries to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of alternative policies and implementation mechanisms.
83857. Transport economics
This course helps to develop a specialist appreciation of the economics of urban transport provision. It highlights the economic principles and techniques employed in planning, operating and managing our city transport systems and concentrates on topics such as: travel time valuation, road congestion costing and pricing, public transport finance and cost-recovery, and economic appraisal techniques employed therein.
Stream II. Housing Policy and Planning
83701. Management theories and techniques in housing
This course reviews and evaluates the theoretical models of management and specific management techniques commonly used to assist decision making in the urban context in general and in the housing sector in particular. Topics covered include: application of management theories for the public and private housing sectors, demographic trends and housing demand forecasting, optimization methods, system simulation and dynamics, plan and programme evaluation and policy analysis.
83858. Housing economics
This course provides a basic introduction to economics and the application of economic concepts in the analysis of housing issues. The course also deals with the principles of cost-benefit analysis and economic evaluation in general in the housing context. Other topics covered include land policy and economics, cycles in housing activity, the financing of housing development and privatization.
83859. Comparative housing policy and management
This course provides an international comparative dimension in the analysis of housing issues focusing on experiences and practices outside Hong Kong. It examines and analyses the evolution and the social goals of housing policies, modes of intervention in the housing market, the role of the public and private sectors in housing provision, housing finance systems, the relationships between housing standards and societal conditions, and the management of housing development in both industrialized and developing countries.
83908. Housing policy and management
This course examines the problems, policies, finance and management of housing. It will focus on: nature of the housing problem, demand and supply of housing, typology of housing, the social, economic, political and cultural aspects of housing, slums and squatter housing, housing policies, housing allocation, and housing management in both private and public sectors.
Stream III. Environmental Policy and Planning
98102. Environmental and resource economics
An introduction to welfare economics examining basic concepts including consumer surplus, Pareto optimality, externalities and the welfare of future generations; alternative economic approaches to pollution control including the role of taxes and subsidies, the sale of pollution rights and the use of environmental standards; basic concepts of cost-benefit analysis and the economic theory relating to resource depletion and conservation.
98201. Theories of environmental management
A review of various theories that provide a basis for understanding the social context of pollution problems. Topics covered include the social meaning of environmental problems; the concept of growth and its relationship with resource availability; the emergence of 'environmentalism' and bioethics; the role of technology and technological change in environmental degradation; environmental politics.
98202. Comparative environmental policy and law
This course consists of two major elements:
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Environmental policy making in selected Asian countries in order to set Hong Kong's evolving environmental policy framework in a broader regional context comparative analysis of institutional structures for decision-making on the environment, the nature of policy mechanisms used by different countries and modes of policy implementation. |
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Legal aspects of environmental pollution, primarily in the Hong Kong context; the basic features of the Hong Kong legal system; common law applicable to environmental control, focusing on such matters as strict liability and the torts of nuisance, trespass and negligence; statutory controls relating to environmental protection including general controls in the Summary Offences Ordinance and Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and delegated legislation, the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, Waste Disposal Ordinance, Air Pollution Control Ordinance, and Noise Control Ordinance. |
98203. Urban development planning and environmental impact assessment
This course consists of two basic elements:
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The nature and objectives of urban development planning including the evolution of urban planning approaches; relevant methodologies; the nature of urban planning institutions; the role of urban planning as a mechanism for environmental protection and management. |
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Environmental impact assessment (EIA) including the origins and development of EIA; impact assessment methodologies; case study applications. |
Stream IV. Development Policy and Planning
83826. Urban development in China
This course reviews the urbanization pattern and its developmental context in the People's Republic of China. Subjects discussed include evolution of urban development, population and human capital, agricultural and industrial policies, rural urbanization and development of urban system, regional and spatial development.
83829. Physical planning and urban form
This course focuses on the physical form of the city and straddles the junction between urban planning and urban design. It covers concepts and principles underlying urban form as well as techniques in physical planning. The course is divided into three modules: the first is on analyzing and understanding the physical structure of the city and forces that shape it; the second focuses on elements of urban form; and the third introduces the fundamental principles of site analysis for both high and low density development.
83834. Regional development planning
Global restructuring has led to new theorization and practice of regional development and planning in both developed and developing countries. This course reviews the evolution of regional development theories derived from the western and Asian contexts. The course also examines in detail the practice of regional development planning in selected Asian Pacific countries.
83869. Geographic information systems in planning and development
This course examines the principles and applications of geographic information systems (GIS) in urban and environmental planning and management. It covers data collection, input, encoding, management, processing and analysis of GIS and their applications in different stages and areas of urban and environmental planning and management.
Additional Specialization Course
Students wishing to apply for membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute of the United Kingdom are required to satisfy the examiners in the following specialization course which must be taken in addition to meeting the other requirements of the MSc(UrbanPlanning) programme:
83854. Planning law and practice in the United Kingdom
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding and working knowledge of town and country planning legislation in the United Kingdom together with a general appreciation of legislation in related fields and its implications for the planning process. The course also aims to develop in students a critical awareness of planning procedures and the role and responsibilities of the professional planner in the United Kingdom context.
Urban Planning Workshops and Dissertation
83805/83839. Urban planning workshops I and II
Physical planning projects by teams in studio; project work simulating real practical situations; meeting and discussion with planning professionals and communities; application of techniques and methods; communication and presentation techniques; and analysis of planning practice.
83865. Dissertation
A dissertation of approximately 15,000 words in length shall be presented by the candidate no later than June 30 in the candidate's final year of study. An oral examination on the subject of the dissertation may be prescribed by the examiners.
