As societies modify their environments more and more over time, planning to reduce potential impacts so that communities and places can flourish has become central to land use planning. The challenges planners face include considerations around air quality, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. Specialising in environmental planning will provide you with the professional skills and knowledge required to plan for more sustainable and resilient societies, as complexity and challenges increase.

This specialisation will provide you with a deep understanding of the complex interplay between the social, political, economic and biophysical factors that shape environmental planning decisions. In adopting an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll develop essential skills and knowledge in social and environment fields to prepare you for diverse planning positions in the public and private sector.

Key Features

• This specialisation combines lectures and tutorials with workshops and field visits to integrate theory and practice, and is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia as part of the Master of Planning.
• You’ll focus on environmental policy and practice, and learn how these shape strategic land use planning and development assessment.
• You’ll interpret and apply planning policies and instruments, and develop the skills you need to work as a practicing planner.
• You’ll gain advanced practical and applied knowledge of environmental planning theory, incorporating legal and governance principles, processes and practice.
• You’ll critically evaluate planning and sustainability theories and apply this knowledge to contemporary environmental planning issues across spatial and temporal scales.
• You’ll evaluate the implications of contemporary urban and regional planning issues, and how they impact the environment and society.

• Environmental planner
• Local government planner or development assessor
• Planning or environmental consultant
• Strategic planner

• Community sector organisations in urban development, housing and planning
• Government departments
• Local government authorities
• Planning consultancies
• Residential developers, eg, Landcom