Objectives of Programme's Learning Outcomes

• Support local governance choices
• Integrate the different expectations of stakeholders involved in the environment, urban planning and regional development
• Analyse the dynamics of the creation and transformation of areas: referring to theories, historical processes, constraints and potential, the interplay of stakeholders, and the various relevant spatial and temporal scales in order to identify the issues and set out forward-looking scenarios
• Identify the various working hypotheses in relation to an urban planning problem and linked to urban and rural policy
• Demonstrate skills in research, analysis and evaluation, as well as the ability to make appropriate decisions based on quantitative and qualitative evidence
• Master the issues of spatial adaptation and transformation
• Identify and articulate the different components making up an urban or territorial context
• Coordinate the various disciplines involved in spatial planning across the board
• Master the tools, techniques and urban and regional engineering of observation, investigation, analysis, forecasting, representation, negotiation and communication
• Recognise, through evaluation tools, the contribution that planning can make to built and natural environments and in particular to the consequences of climatic and socio-economic changes

Learning Outcomes of UE

This course aims at decompartmentalising themes in order to give students the keys to thinking holistically and taking into account the multifunctionality of territories.
At the end of this course, students will be able to :
- understand the issues linked to the increasing scarcity of resources, pollution, the erosion of biodiversity and environmental risks,
- acquire basic theoretical knowledge of environments (subsoil, soil, air, climate, water, flora and fauna, etc.) and the scientific concepts underlying the creation of functional ecological networks for species,
- understand the impact of human activity on these environments as a function of an increasing gradient of human pressure, 
- understand the specific nature of urban and peri-urban environments and develop notions of urban ecology,
- be familiar with the spatial scope of these different themes and know where to look for the data needed to take them into account in development planning
- learn the rationale behind operational ecological networks (green and blue grids, green infrastructure, etc.) as guides to sustainable regional planning
- propose solutions adapted to specific situations that use the strength of healthy natural ecosystems to protect people and guarantee the robustness of the area.

UE Content: description and pedagogical relevance

In a context where awareness of the ecological emergency is widely shared, it is essential to change our model. Scientists around the world are noting the unprecedented rate at which biodiversity is declining. This is due to the pressures that human activities are putting on nature, and the trend is still increasing despite international commitments and national strategies.
The causes of the disappearance of living things are well documented and are attributable to human activities, in particular changes in land use, the destruction of natural habitats and fragmentation. In the light of these findings, the major challenge is to ensure that the preservation of living things is given greater prominence in the sectoral policies and strategies responsible for these pressures. Spatial planning and urban development are directly concerned by these sectoral policies and strategies. Development projects offer an opportunity to preserve and restore the ecological functions of areas, while helping to improve the quality of life and the attractiveness of residential and tourist areas.
Preserving and restoring ecological continuity means taking action wherever possible: in rural areas, on the scale of watercourses and in urban areas, in a way that is adapted and specific to each situation.
The aim of this teaching unit is to provide a basis for understanding this issue.

Prior Experience

Not applicable