Spatial Planning: The first lecture

This first lecture introduces Spatial/Territorial Planning within the Urban Technologies Management program. It frames the key concepts, rationale, and scope of the course and presents the semester roadmap:

• Module 1: Fundamental notions; historical lens; spatial & social inequalities; space–society relations.

• Module 2: Goals and principles; approaches (physical/rural/urban/regional); planning scales; territorial divisions; planning perimeter (area of intervention).

• Module 3: Planning themes: the urban phenomenon, planning & economic development, planning & environmental issues

• Module 4: National territorial policy; planning instruments & tools; stages of the planning process and future prospects.

Intended Learning Outcomes (by the end of the semester)

• Explain the difference between urban planning and territorial/spatial planning, identifying planning scales and the intervention perimeter for each case.

• Apply concepts of spatial/social inequalities to interpret territorial problems and set priorities for intervention.

• Identify stakeholders and appropriate mechanisms/tools for each planning level, linking them to the legal framework and national policies.

• Describe the stages of the planning process from diagnosis to option selection and programming highlighting sustainability considerations.