Territorial Planning

Code:

L.EC020

Acronym:

PT

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Planning

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Civil Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EC	164	Syllabus	2	-	6	45,5	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Justification:
The territory is a key area of professional intervention of the civil engineer, as an agent (or producer) of built structures, infrastructure and equipment, as an agent of institutions with responsibilities in the organization and administration of the territory, or as technical manager or entities engaged in real estate management. Therefore, training in spatial planning is fundamental for the 'use' and 'production' of the built space with the principles of balanced and sustainable development.

OBJECTIVES:
- Introduce students to the problems of spatial planning, providing the framework for the civil engineer's role as an agent of change;
- Provide a structured body of knowledge about the spatial organization of the territories, especially the urbanized;
- Framing the role of planning and urban management, to systematize the different modes of intervention in the territory (especially the formal planning), and promote in-depth knowledge of techniques and methodologies of urban regulation.

Learning outcomes and competences

SKILLS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Knowledge: Identify the main problems associated with trends of occupation and land use. Describe the concepts that drive the strategies, methodologies and tools of intervention in the territory. Identify types of plans and their nature.

Understanding: To evaluate and distinguish conflicts and intervention needs. Distinguish the main concepts and objectives associated with different types of plans. Interpret and manipulate the main criteria and indicators as part of the planning system in force in Portugal.

Application: Develop criteria and establish methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of plans and different urban solutions. Calculate indicators and urban parameters.

Analysis: Develop capabilities to analyze and compare different types of interventions and methodologies of urban regulation. Discuss strategies, processes and tools for intervention in the territory.

Summary: To propose solutions to increase the capacity of intervention in the territory.

Evaluation: Evaluate existing tools and methodologies, and recommend conditions for future development.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Prior knowledge: as this is an introductory course in spatial planning, there are no essential prerequisites for attending the course.

Program

Theoretical classes:

1. Introduction. Civil engineering and spatial planning

2. Dynamics of spatial structuration and change

2.1 Urbanisation processes: description (global, European and national scales)
2.2 Urbanisation processes: explanations.


2.3. Urbanisation processes: problems.

3. Models: spatial planning as a response to the urbanisation problems

3.1 Origins and development of modern planning.


3.2 A critical appraisal of the planning experience and current social, economic and environmental challenges.

4. Instruments: the normative framework of spatial planning in Portugal.

4.1 Historical evolution of the spatial planning system in Portugal.
4.2 Spatial management instruments: objectives, contents and methodology.
4.3 The Municipal Master/Director Plan: documents and main contents.
4.4 Territorial model, land use regime and structuring systems.



5. Introduction to real estate valuation

5.1 Complexity of the housing and real estate markets.
5.2 Valuation methods and conditions for their application.
5.3 Property valuation by public administration in Portugal.


Theoretical-practical classes:

1. Urban indicators and parameters: work group.
2. Interpretation and application of Municipal Director Plan Regulations.
3. Interpretation and application of the Code of Compulsory Purchase.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE SYLLABUS COHERENCE WITH THE CURRICULAR UNIT'S OBJECTIVES:
After the general introduction, the program begins with an understanding of the dynamics and problems of current urbanisation processes (Chapter 2), starting from the global scale and highlighting the specificity of the European context and the Portuguese urban system. Key perspectives for interpreting these processes are presented, particularly those related to the urban economy.
Chapter 3 places the experience of spatial planning within this context, identifying and comparing various proposals of principles and ideas regarding the "good organization of territory" and their application in different cities, ending with a discussion of the normative framework proposed by the United Nations.
Chapter 4 discusses how the spatial planning system seeks to implement these principles, focusing on territorial management instruments in Portugal, with an emphasis on understanding municipal-level instruments.
Finally, Chapter 5 introduces the specific issue of real estate appraisal in planning.

Mandatory literature

Peter Hall; Urban & regional planning. ISBN: 0-415-07624-2
Peter Hall; Cidades do amanhã
C Couch; Urban Planning: An Introduction, Palgrave, 2016. ISBN: 9781137427564
Nuno Portas, Álvaro Domingues, João Cabral; Politicas Urbanas II. ISBN: 978-972-31-1382-2

Comments from the literature

To learn about the historical experience of modern planning, we suggest consulting Peter Hall's books available at the FEUP Library, in particular Cities of Tomorrow and Urban & Regional Planning. To learn about the current problems and challenges of spatial planning, we suggest consulting Chris Couch (2016). Urban Planning: an Introduction. Palgrave.

The course uses various materials produced by the United Nations (UN-Habitat), the European Commission and the Portuguese Government, in addition to Portuguese legislation on the territorial management system and technical concepts in the fields of spatial planning and urbanism. Examples of Municipal Master Plans are also studied.

Moodle is a repository of the materials used in class.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The contact hours of the course unit are divided between theoretical classes and theoretical-practical classes, which include the completion of a fieldwork assignment.

The theoretical classes aim to combine the presentation of the course topics—using a variety of materials—with the discussion and critical analysis of case studies. The selection of case studies for discussion each year takes into account, on the one hand, reference cases from theoretical debates and, on the other hand, opportunities related to the specific context of Portugal and, especially, the Porto Metropolitan Area (for example, the publication of reports and planning documents or the discussion surrounding certain urban projects).

The theoretical-practical classes are structured in two parts. In the first part, a group project is developed, focusing on the study of a specific area of the city of Porto. This involves identifying and characterizing different morphotypes and outlining a preliminary proposal for the occupation of a vacant space, which is then presented and discussed in class. This work, oriented towards building teamwork skills, prioritizes fieldwork methodologies, territorial analysis using GIS tools, and the presentation and discussion of planning proposals.

In the second part, several exercises are carried out to interpret and apply Municipal Master Plan Regulations, exploring in detail various urban planning parameters, as well as to interpret and apply the Expropriation Code, as an example of a field of application for evaluation methodologies.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE COHERENCE BETWEEN THE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students are encouraged to develop criteria and establish methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of plans and different urban solutions, calculate indicators and urban parameters, develop capabilities to analyze and compare different types of interventions and methodologies of urban regulation, discuss strategies, processes and tools for intervention in the territory, to propose solutions to increase the capacity of intervention in the territory, evaluate existing tools and methodologies, and recommend conditions for future development.

Software

AutoCAD
QGIS

keywords

Technological sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Teste	5,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	101,50
Frequência das aulas	45,50
Trabalho de campo	3,00
Trabalho escrito	12,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Approval of the course unit implies compliance with the attendance requirement, considering that a student complies with this requirement if, having been regularly enrolled, they do not exceed the limit of 25% of absences from the face-to-face classes scheduled for each type.

In addition to the cases provided for in the FEUP rules in force, students who have obtained a final grade of 6 or higher in the course in the immediately preceding academic year are exempt from the attendance requirement.

Calculation formula of final grade

Assessment is defined on the basis of a distributed assessment, which consists of a group work accounting for 25% of the final grade, an individual assessment on Moodle, accounting for 5% of the final grade, and a final exam, which accounts for 75% of the final grade. The distributed assessment focuses on the skills and competences of territorial analysis, the use of planning and design support tools, group work and presentation and discussion of simple planning proposals. The final exam focuses learning objectives and critical reflection on the course content and its interconnections. It also focuses on the ability to solve exercises on interpreting and applying Municipal Director/Master Plan regulations and the Expropriations Code.

The final mark, CF, results from the following calculation formula:

CF = 0,25 TP + 0,75 EF + 0,05 AI,

TP - classification of the assignment (written report and oral presentation)
EF - classification of the final exam
AI - individual assessment in Moodle

Students who attended the course in the previous academic year will be able to keep the grade for the distributed assessment component.

Students with special statuses, who are not enforced to attend all classes, are not exempt from complying with the evaluation rules of this Course, namely, they are not exempt from the component of the distributed evaluation.

 

Examinations or Special Assignments

Special and end of course exams

In these periods, it is possible to recover the distributed assessment part, in the form of a written and/or oral component.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with special statuses, who are not enforced to attend all classes, are not exempt from complying with the evaluation rules of this Course, namely, they are not exempt from the component of the distributed evaluation.

Classification improvement

The final exam grade can be improved in the 2nd call exam ("Época de Recurso"). The distributed assessment component cannot be improved, and the formula for calculating the final grade is maintained.

Observations

During any assessment, the possession of any electronic device (e.g. mobile phones, tablets, headphones, smartwatches, etc.) is strictly prohibited, with the exception of those expressly indicated by the teaching staff (e.g. calculators).

It is the student's responsibility to anticipate this situation before the start of the assessment.