Working with Local Authorities on Real Life Projects

Chrissie GibsonManchester Metropolitan University

Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences

Context

• Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences

• UG Network – 600 students

• Town planning strand at each level– 100 at level one– 80 at level two– 50 at level three

Land Use Planning and Sustainable Development

• Issues– Compartmentalised learning– Students needed more of a challenge– More problem solving = real life

• Long-standing links with Stockport MBC– Placements– MMUBS Retail Enterprise Network

• Solution– A project based around a local shopping centre– Students had to collect data and produce proposals

Heald Green & Edgeley CentresMap removed for copyright reasons

Heald Green

Heald Green

Cheadle Royal

Heald Green

Vacant shops

Heald Green

Local facilities, but low spend

Some new investment

Heald Green

Station

- line from Manchester to the airport

Edgeley, Stockport

Edgeley

Edgeley Park

Assignment

Policy•National•Regional•Local

Policy•National•Regional•Local ?

Survey data

•Shoppers•Traders•Types of shop•Census

Resources

Surveys

Students worked in groups

Surveys of shoppers and traders prescribed by Stockport MBC

Own surveys

Student presentations

Proposals

• Evening trade – wine bars and restaurants

• Specialist shops• Village square• Farmers’ markets

• Adverts at the station• Ask local schools to research local

history and use historical themes in the new designs

• Better design of public areas

Skills gained

• Accessing electronic maps, Digimap (OS service)

• Annotating maps

• Collecting and analysing survey data from a range of respondents

• Minute taking and reflection

• Application of knowledge from other units eg crime and defensible space

• Appreciation of the requirements of an outside organisation

Role of Stockport MBC

• Provided background data• Provided action plans for similar

areas • Provided questionnaires• Listened to presentations

• In return,– Questionnaires completed– New ideas

Student feedback

• Positive • Issues over group work (2 x forms)• Issues about sharing ideas• More guidance• Data input tedious• Word limit too short

Problems & improvements

• Initial set up time• SMBC questionnaires lacked clarity • Students meeting deadlines for data input• Data handling and verification tedious• Issues around group work, forms to overcome problems

• Improvements year on year– Spent longer on preparatory sessions– Arrange separate group seminars– Improve the ‘group work’ forms

Benefits

The project gives the students the opportunity to work on a real life project and to tackle some issues in depth, which will have long term benefits for their employability.

Proposals

What the students thought

“the assessment on Edgeley has give me an insight into a planning career”

“the opportunity to write a professional report which I can use in my portfolio of work”

“being able to put my own ideas into a planning exercise”

“understanding how a planning proposal might be initiated, learning what research is appropriate to identify the issues and resolve them”

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