Topic outline

  • General


    Course teachers:

    Raine Mäntysalo, raine.mantysalo@aalto.fi

    Oya Duman, oya.duman@aalto.fi

    Jouni Ojala, jouni.ojala@aalto.fi

    Hanna Mattila, hanna.mattila@aalto.fi

    Janne Oittinen (data support, first period), janne.oittinen@aalto.fi 


    Course summary

    This autumn, the City of Espoo is engaged in scenario work in view of updating its city strategy and related strategic spatial plans. The Planning Studio course will collaborate with the city, contributing to the scenario work and elaborating its spatial implications, and utilizing the insights gained in preparing a strategic land use and transport plan for the city. The issues in Espoo demanding a strategic approach include: managing the rapid population increase sustainably, the planned new 'One Hour Train' connection from Espoo to Turku, the circular light rail system development in the Capital Region, and the extension of the west metro line. In the Planning Studio course, students will develop a strategic land use and transport plan for Espoo that would enable short range decisions while keeping in mind different long term scenarios and uncertainties.

    Planning Studio (10 cr) is a compulsory course in the master's programme "Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering".



    Course structure

    The course consists of weekly learning sessions (including sessions with Espoo City officials), group work and individual studying (see Course Schedule for detailed programme).


    Commended by AESOP Excellence in Teaching Prize Committee, July 9th, 2020:

    “The Committee appreciated the module’s structure, strong pedagogical framework,  organisation, and strong links to theory (e.g. the use of notions of the temporal framing of planning and ‘strategic incrementalism’ as guiding concepts). There were very good links to practice too achieved through the format of working with different municipalities each year. This allowed coverage of a wide range of real life issues which can be faced by a municipality and gave learners and excellent opportunity to gain first hand experience and knowledge. The module culminates in the students producing a strategic land use and transport plan and vision for the selected municipality. The ‘resilience of teaching’ aspect was well-covered.”


  • Course schedule

    (to be updated regularly)

    ----

    Thursday 10.9., 9-16 - Online

    9-10:30  : Introduction to the course; data collection & analysis assignment - Online

    11-16: First Espoo Futures Platform e-Workshop (in Finnish) - Online

    Thursday 17.9., 9-17 - Online

    9-14: Second Espoo Futures Platform e-Workshop (in Finnish)

    14-17: Online supervision on data collection & analysis

    Thursday, 24.9., 9-17 (Otakaari 1, U7/135a)

    Group presentations on data collection & analysis; instructions for individual assignment (spatial ideas for the scenario workshop based on the data collection assignment and Futures Platform workshops)

    Thursday, 1.10., 9-16 - Online

    Lecture "From Forecasts to Scenarios", presentations on Schwartz book, overview of individual assignment, and scenarios elaboration workshop 1

    Thursday, 8.10., 9-17 (Otakaari 1, U7/135a)

    Scenario workshop; instructions for scenario group assignment 1 (storylines)

    Thursday, 15.10., 13-17 (Online - Same MS Teams link that we have used before)

    Supervision on scenario group assignment 1; instructions for scenario group assignment 2 (spatiality): efficiencies, service levels etc.

    Thursday, 22.10.: No teaching

    Thursday, 29.10., 13-17 - Online

    Supervision on scenario group assignment 1 & 2

    Thursday, 5.11., 13-16 - Online

    Espoo Workshop: Presentation of scenarios & vision workshop

    Thursday, 12.11., 9-16:30  - Online

    Lecture; workshop: configuring the strategic plan

    Thursday, 19.11., 13-15 - Online (MS Teams - same link as before)

    Vision 2050 & alternative scenario plans presentations and discussions, sub-group discussions

    Thursday, 26.11., 13-16 - Online

    Presentations of Plan 2030, Zoom-ins, Vision 2050, Alternative Scenario Plans

    DEADLINE Tuesday 01.12 - The rehearsal versions of material produced by subgroups ready for comments from other students

    Thursday, 3.12., 13-15:30 - Online

    Rehearsal of the final presentation

    DEADLINE Monday  07.12 - The final versions of the material produced by subgroups ready

    DEADLINE Tuesday 08.12 - CG combines the final presentation ready for comments of others

    Thursday, 10.12., 13-16 - Online

    Final Espoo presentation and course feedback

  • Assignments

  • Learning Diaries

    Not available unless any of:
    • You are a(n) Student
    • You are a(n) Advanced teacher
    • You are a(n) Teacher
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant ...


    Learning diaries are written, first-person reflection on your learning and progress with the assignments. Learning diaries must be submitted individually after completion of each group assignment.

    Length: ~1 page / 500 words

    Submission: MyCourses, Sunday after assignment deadline

    Questions to guide your reflection:

    •What did I learn? What was a challenge?
    •What worked and what didn’t work in the assignment?
    •How did the group function (task divisions, discussions, innovations, helping one another, working and finalizing) and what was my role in the group?
    •What are for me the most important learnings from the assignment? Which questions remained unanswered?
    •How would I improve the assignment?

  • Materials

    Not available unless any of:
    • You are a(n) Advanced teacher
    • You are a(n) Teacher
    • You are a(n) Student
    • You are a(n) Workspace Assistant ...

    Here, you can find all the course material including slides, supporting material and instructions for assignments, and many more!