The BURP degree programme in Ahmadu Bello University provides a broad based planning education and training, which assists in developing the students’ intellectual and professional capacities to a high standard. The philosophy is that of design oriented planning, to place the graduate mid-stream between policy-oriented and technology-based planners. The course therefore aims at producing sound generalist professional planners who can operate effectively in the field of Urban and Regional Planning and related activities.

The objectives are as follows:

1. To impart Urban and Regional Planning knowledge by the study of theories, methods and techniques for spatial organization, and management of land uses and activity systems of regions and urban areas.
2. To assist students to acquire constructive understanding of the social, economic and technological frameworks of development within the physical and other planning processes and the potential capacities of the frameworks for more coherent and relevant collaborative policy formulation and implementation;
3. To provide students with practical experience of the wide range of planning problems and best-practices, and
4. To encourage students to develop and sustain interest in specialized planning skills for further research and professional career development.

Entry requirements into the department are in accordance with JAMB/ABU guidelines. These are given on table 2 below, or the three entry points of the programme.

Table 2: B. URP Entry Requirements

The programme is for a minimum of five (5) years for students coming into the programme with UME and secondary School (SSCE) Certificate or equivalent. Candidates who obtain GCE ‘A’ Level or ND in Urban and Regional Planning or related disciplines join through Direct Entry and spend 4 years, while candidates who possess HND in Urban and Regional Planning at upper credit/distinction join in the third year of the programme and spend 3 years for graduation.A

Examinations are conducted for each subject at the end of the semester. During the semester, the examinations consist of continuous assessment of students from class assignments and/or tests. This constitutes about 30% of the overall assessment. The remainder is scored during the end of semester studio practice courses are assessed continuously to get the full marks at the end of the semester.

All written examinations are administered in accordance with University regulations (See ABU student Handbook 1996/97), 2nd Edition, Page 34-56) and coordinated by the Head of Department as the Chief Examiner. The draft questions and marking schemes are moderated by external examiners before the examinations are conducted an the marked scripts are moderated before results are prcessed.

Supervisory committees of academic staff guide students’ individual research projects. Students present their work at scheduled reviews for group critique by academic staff and they defend before external and internal examiners for the final grading.

Students present their studio works on individual or group basis as appropriate, for staff critique at scheduled stages in addition to routine supervision as the project proceeds. The grading is progressively done at the critique sessions.

To qualify for the award of B.URP, a student is required to have earned a minimum of 157 credit units, of which 117 units are core courses, 24 are cognate and 16 units are electives. The student is also expected to have passed all core and cognate courses in the programme. To move to different levels of study, students must have earned the following minimum total credit units:

Students joining the programme at 200 level are given 39 dummy credit units and those at 300 level get 60 at registration. At the 400 level of study, students are required to spend the second semester on the industrial training.

Details of the course structure are given in this section. Students take the courses based on the principles of the course credit system (see ABU Student Handbook).

The design components of the B. URP programme are theory course, studio practice, and individual research project. These are delivered through lectures, supervision, trips, and tutorials. Through the various levels of study, these increase in depth of content or comprehensiveness of scope and advance from simple to complex issues. Accordingly, the thrust of the training at various levels of study is as follows

B. URP 100Level

In the first year of study along with others in the university, students take General Studies (GENS) courses. These courses provide them with the basics for positioning the programme in the wider context of the university level education and general developmental context. In addition, they take electives that introduce the elements of the art and science foundations of the programme, the interdisciplinary nature of planning and the design and policy orientations, into which their training would mature. The principal departmental courses at this level are URPL 101: Evolution of planning thought; URPL 102; and URPL 103 Preliminary Planning studio Practice.

B. URP 200 Level

In the second year, students take foundation courses, which consist of core, cognates and electives centering on the theories and models that provide understanding of the parameters of planning. That is, LAND, PEOPLE and TIME. The studio practice course exposes students to the basic techniques of spatial planning problem conception and proposals over small areas, which is easy to conceive.

B. URP 300 Level

At this mid-stream stage of the programme, students are exposed to the various components of planning, education and training such as regional planning, transport planning, landscape planning, site planning. The design of the studio courses is purpose- tailored to address largescope planning problems in the different areas of planning concern. The theory courses are indepth in scope and cover the analytical and applied subjects like land resource analysis, Housing process, research methods, etc.

B. URP 400 Level

This fourth year is the consolidation stage of the programme. The first semester courses are in the complex areas such as metropolitan planning, urban design, etc. This penultimate grounding is placed within the practice issues of the planning system through courses like planning law and planning administration. Students strength the practice skills and professional confidence by spending the second semester on SIWES attachment in various government ministries, agencies and Institutes as well as registered private consultancy firms.

B. URP 500 Level

In this final year of study, students take courses at advanced level for critical discussion to raise research issues. These courses include advanced planning theory, advanced urban design, advanced regional planning. Additionally, practice-based courses like professional practice, public finance management, national development planning are offered. The advanced planning studio practive is designed to be wholesome planning projects like urban master plan, regional plan, transport plan, etc., in which the full range of skills acquired at the lower levels of study are utilized. Students undertake individual research projects. They make oral presentations to defend their work using conventional and computer – based techniques.

100 Level (First Semester)

100 Level Courses

URPL 101: Evolution of Planning thought – credit Units
A world review tracing the historical development of Town Planning through various epochs of history. The various planning modes. Development of Town planning as a profession and the different concerns and approaches.
The effects of the philanthropic movements on town planning, public health laws, garden city and new towns movements. Development of planning philosophy in Nigeria.

URPL 102: Preliminary Planning Studio II – 3 Credit Unit
Projection techniques in graphic presentation – Axonometric projection, Isometric projection, Diametric projection, Trimetric projection, Oblique projection, Perspective drawings – principles and types. Introduction to charts in different projections; Drawing plans, elevation and sections of buildings and their environment; introduction to enlargement and reduction techniques. Simple planning and design principles; introduction to planning layouts:

URPL 103: Preliminary Planning Studio I – 3 Credit Unit
Principles and methods of environmental perception and design; Basic principles and techniques of chart design; paper setting techniques and procedures; Use of drawing instruments and materials e.g. drawing board, paper, tracing paper/cloth, pasting Triangles, Irregular curves, erasers, basic pens for inking charts drawing ink, compass; Lettering – freehand lettering, stick on, stick-up, or transfer lettering; Techniques of freehand drawing and sketching; preparing still life drawings of simple objects in the Studio; colour and shading Techniques in preparing plans and perspectives; professional colour code. Theory of composition – space, form, texture tones, etc; Two-dimensional and three – dimensional composition in different media. Methods of drawing trees, shrubs, urban appurtenances in pencil and ink.

URPL 104: Fundamentals of Mapping
What is a map; how are maps made; Types of maps; Uses of maps; Map scales; reading and interpreting maps: positioning, intervisibility, navigation, orientation, distances and bearings; map representation of geographic features.

200 Level Courses

URPL 201: Planning Theory – 2 credit Units
Conception and General characteristics of Planning; Theories in planning: like the urban growth and development theories: concentric Zone, Sector, Multiple nuclei, dual city concept. The broad acre city, radburn, the neighbourhood theory framework for planning: The dynamics of political, social and economic variables.
Theories of planning: Comprehensive, radical, incremental and mixed – scanning theories and their structural arrangement. Ethics and social justice in planning and an awareness of arising conflicts. Examples will be drawn from urban environments in industrial and development countries. Contemporary planning directions.

URPL 202: Planning Principles and Process – 2 credit Units
The traditional planning process: innovations in the urban planning process; the dynamic process of urban planning. Principles and process of formulation of goals and objectives, plan formulation, evaluation, implementation and reviewing of planning projects. The general principles of planning.

URPL 203: Urbanisation – 2 Credit Units
Urbanization as a way of life. The evolution of spatial systems of cities. The process of change and population shifts between rural and urban areas. Urbanization in relation to industrialization, modernization and development. Urbanisation characteristics of Nigeria
within the African context and other Third World Countries. Nigerian urban problems and
urbanization policies in relation to general development objectives.

URPL 204: Site Planning – 2 Credit Units
The site as part of the land use system. Scales and areas of Site Planning. The techniques of Site selection and analysis; topography, vegetation, and distinct features. Land use and circulation systems; Land Utilization, Land Sub division (Layouts) and planning standards for various land uses. Development control regulations on building lines, setbacks, density and development ratios. Site Plan and plan management system.

URPL 205: Land Use Components – 2 Credit Units
Examination of the determinants of urban land use – social, economic, public interests, and physical controls and the inter relationship among these factors in the evolution of the overall land use pattern in cities. The impact of urban activities systems on the development of land use and transportation. Analysis, classification and presentation techniques for urban land use. Principles for planning and design of specific land use areas – residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, public and semi – public, etc. Criteria for setting standards. Urban Planning standards. Space allocation standards for major land use components: standards relating to densities, space, plot sizes, plot coverage, set backs, roads in residential areas, etc. Space standards for upgrading of residential areas; Design standards for commercial areas: city centres, district and community centres, shopping centres, modern and traditional market design, commercial density. Standards for planning and design of industrial areas including facilities; parking and road networks. Standards for community facilities and services.

URPL 206: Urban Economics – 2 Credit Units
The application of micro – economic concepts to urban planning analyses and problem solving. Spatial price theory and application. Interaction of land, Labour, capital management, and capacity and efficiency; theory of rent, relation to value and spatial allocation of land uses to various competitive activities. Real estate market; Economics of urban growth and spatial structure; the urban formal and informal economic sectors.

URPL 207: Drought and Desertification – 2 Credit Units
The Environmental problems of drought and desertification as global problems with particular reference to the Sahel/Savannah ecological zones in Africa; Perspective on environmental and Ecological Balance and the Environmental Challenge, the Earth Summit, Global Environmental Problems, Disasters and Issues; Definition of Terms and link between Drought and Desertification; Drought and Desertification as Global Environmental Problems – Global trends in the incidence of Drought and Desertification; The Desertification Process (Technical Indicators), Causes, Manifestations; effects of Drought and desertification; Drought and Desertification in Sub- Saharan Africa and the Sahel. Historic Perspective, Social and Environmental Aspects of the Problem; Monitoring and Control of Drought and Desertification; Regional Planning and Environmental Management Practices for Combating Drought and Desertification.

URPL 208: Environmental Planning – 2 Credit Units
Concept of the environment; development and the environment; environmental problems; sustainable development and environmental planning objectives; intervention policies, techniques and world community awareness; atmospheric and regional environment; atmospheric pollution and green house effects; soil erosion, water pollution, deforestation and desertification; ecological, cultural and resource management concerns. Urban environment: aspects of housing, recreation and work environment, solid waste problems; automotivepollution environmental management projects: sustainable fuel wood production, resource recovery, sustainable population and environmental health; urban environmental planning principles and practices Nigerian Policy and Practice on the Environment.

URPL 219: Planning Studio Practice I – 4 Credit Units
Students are assigned studio projects, which build on the drafting skills acquired at 100 level and apply them to a series of basic planning problems. Students work in small groups at some stages and individually at other stages of some of the projects. The projects are reviewed at crits in which students display their work and orally present to the class and supervising staff.

URPL 212: Computer Application in Planning – 1 Credit Unit
Basics of computing: getting familiar with the computer terminal/workstation, how does the computer work, hardware components, software components, peripherals, simple
maintenance issues; Basic computing skills: application software – introduction to MS word, Excel, Power Point, Use of Internet, working with browsers and search engines; Advanced computing: Introduction to Computer Aided Design (CAD), working with AutoCAD, basic AutoCAD functionalities, drawing lines, arcs, cycles; designing site plans and layouts using AutoCAD; Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing, using Google Earth, importing satellite images and aerial photographs into AutoCAD, digitizing satellite images and aerial photographs in AutoCAD, working with scales in AutoCAD, measurement of distances/dimensions.

URPL 220: Planning Studio Practice II – 4 Credit Units
In this studio practice, a few projects are assigned to the students,. It is to follow the same outline as URPL 219 but having an advanced scope of the planning problem being handled. This is to include higher levels of planning analysis and problem – solving actions.

300 Level Courses

URPL 301 GIS in Planning I – 2 Credit Units
Basics of mapping and GIS; definition of concepts; principles and platforms of GIS: data, hardware, software, people and institutions; relevance of GIS in urban and regional planning; Types of GIS software: vector-based and raster-based software; basic GIS functionalities: data input, data storage, retrieval, visualization and display, data display and interaction, creating new maps, georeferencing and vectorizing raster images, reconciling map scales and projections, layers, organizing mapped information into layers, designing a map layout, exporting maps as PDF documents, spatial location and topology; Spatial data, attribute/tabular data; Spatial data models: raster and vector models; sources of GIS data: CAD drawings, satellite images, GPS data, hard copy maps; Hands-on practical exercises and skills development with ArcGIS 9.2, Erdas Imagine and Idrissi 32.

URPL 302: Introduction to Urban Design – 2 Credit Units
Conceptualizing urban design; Evolution of urban design; Need for urban design; urban design traditions (Schools of thought); Elements of urban design; Urban forms and characteristics; Urban design in Nigeria; Urban design, town planning, architecture and the environment; The urban design process.

URPL 303: Transportation Planning – 2 Credit Units
Role of transportation in urban and regional planning; Traffic generation as a function of land use potentials, modes of transportation of goods, services and people – characteristics and performances; Functional classification and hierarchy of urban and regional roads: Introduction to road geometries and intersection design; Surveys in traffic and transportation planning; introduction models in traffic and transportation planning, Introduction to traffic control systems and management, Introduction to planning, Management and administration of mass transportation systems in cities, The accompanying workshop assignments will include basic surveys, analysis, interpretation, synthesis and application of results in a variety of situations like road intersections, parking areas, etc.

URPL 304: Resource Planning – 2 Credit Units
Scope of resource planning; terminology, definitions and types of Resources, patterns of distribution and utilization of resources: environment and conservation of resources; Planning of natural and human resources; resource evaluation and management; case studies of resource use and consequences; River Basin and water resource planning and management.

URPL 305: Landscape Design – 2 Credit Units
Introduction to Landscape Planning – historical perspective and future trends in the context of Town Planning; Role of Landscape planners with respect to other related professionals; natural and man-made elements of Landscaping. Elements of Landscape organization – Dimensions, Fire, Energy, Light, Land forms, water, soil, road/accessibility and buildings: structures of Landscape; principles of Landscape organization and the land form; Characteristics of space and landscape organization –spatial impact, spatial quality, size of space, spatial form, colour and texture, spatial expressions with lines; visual aspects of Plan arrangements; view, Vista, Axis, Circulation, Space modulation sequence and integration; Plant materials with special emphasis on tropical plants; Basic considerations for landscaping – Plant selection criteria for trees, shrubs/hedges and grass – functions, characteristics and usefulness; Landscape and land uses – Housing, Recreation, industrial, etc. Landscape planning and design process – Feasibility site investigations and appraisal, Preliminary and final proposals; elements of street construction – Surface treatment, paving, street furniture, etc; techniques of rendering landscape schemes; Costing of landscape scheme/project; the workshop will include presentation techniques of elements in landscape plans; Project to involve landscaping of a given area.

 
URPL 306: Rural Settlement Planning – 2 Credit Units
Definition, types and delineation of rural settlements. Need for rural settlement planning; Origin and growth of rural settlements: emergence and factors responsible for growth: Factors affecting site and location; rural settlement pattern, structure and form; Conceptual distinction between pattern and form. The Various settlement; relationship between form and function. Various types of rural settlement land uses. Rural land use Planning considerations for village infrastructure planning and development concept and principles of resettlement; planning procedure and implementation of resettlement proposals; case studies of resettlement schemes; Model village planning etc.

URPL 307: Housing Process – 2 Credit Units
Introduction to Housing as a process. Housing as a basic necessity. The Universality of housing problems and the nature of the housing problem in Nigeria. Classification of dwellings by building materials, location, tenure and design variables. Factors that influence form and organization of housing. Assessing housing needs and demand in quantitative terms. Housing delivery systems.

URPL 308: Research Methods in Planning I – 2 Credit Unit
Nature of research, Research Process, Elements of research proposal, Nature and types of research and methods of data collection and analysis. Nature of social research, planning of social surveys and population sampling. Various methods of sampling, simple size and random numbers. Types and methods of data collection, Designing of the questionnaire. Processing of Data, its analysis, interpretation and presentation using manual and computer system.

URPL 309: Regional Planning – 2 credit Units
Nature of regional Planning and regional development. Formal, functional, administrative and planning regions, their unifying characteristics; the regional planning process; delineation techniques. Analysis of regional spatial structure, and growth, Economic structure analysis of regions; economic base theory, preparation of the regional plan, project identification of regional plans and implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

URPL 310: Regional Development Planning Studio – 2 Credit Unit
Students will undertake one regional planning project: Physical development Plan for a micro – region, appraisal of a Regional Development Plan, evaluation of a regional development project or programme, etc. The scope of the exercise will be tailored to emphasize specific component(s) of a regional development scheme.

URPL 311: Planning Model Making – 2 Credit Units
Model making techniques; tools and materials; use and care of tools; workshop practices. Preparation of three dimensional town planning models and map models.

URPL 312: Utility Planning – 2 credit Units
Types and nature of Urban systems; Utilities and land use within the city, estimates f demand. Water supply; sources quantity and quality, treatment, storage and distribution. Design and layout of drainage and sewerage; principles of storm water and sewerage collection, treatment. Design of networks of utilities using wires – electric, telegraph and telephone.

URPL 319: Residential Area Planning Studio – 4 Credit Units
Projects – Appraisal of existing residential area layout; House design, and preparation of
layout of corporate and plotted residential development. Principles, standards and concepts from land use components and site planning courses shall be applied.

URPL 320: Specialized area Planning Studio – 4 Credit Units
The assignments will include comprehensive design of commercial, industrial or civic and recreational areas. It is also to include assignment relating to urban renewal of a selected residential or commercial area. Each assignment will include surveys, analysis and synthesis of the area as well as a design solution. It will also include landscaping, and planning of specialized units like rehabilitation centres, campuses, etc.

URPL 322: GIS Application in Planning II – 2 Credit Units
An overview of GIS application in Planning (Five Ms of GIS Application): Mapping, Measurement, Monitoring, Modelling, Management; Data management: data cleaning, converting files to DBF, Meta data; Spatial and Tabular join; Urban mapping: Land use mapping, Population mapping (creating thematic and dot density maps), exporting map as PDF document; Area and distance measurement; Querying GIS data: querying by attribute, querying by location, combining attribute and location queries; Buffer analysis; Planning authority application; inventory application, policy analysis application; 3D modelling and visualisation; Working with CAD data in a GIS environment: Importing and exporting CAD data, Linking maps to images (hyperlink, hotlink).

400 Level Courses

URPL 401: Research methods in Planning II – 2 Credit Units
Estimation of current population characteristics and factors used in forecasting, methods of population forecasting trend projections, regression, ratio and apportionment, migration and natural increase growth composition analysis, matrix of framework and allocative forecasting methods. Introduction to quantitative methods, time series analysis, regression analysis, index numbers, linear programming and transportation models. Analysis of variance, Scaling techniques, types of scales, social distance, socio metric measurements, etc. Frequency distribution, comparison and complex tables. Statistical tests of hypothesis. Mathematical models used in town planning simulation models, headship rate model, gravity model, rent model, demand models, etc.

URPL 403: Urban Design Practice and Process – 2 credit Units
Principles of urban design; Dimensions of urban design; Urban design and city development; Urban design practice; Types of urban design practice; Design development and appraisal; Participation, consultation and control in urban design Contemporary issues in urban design.

URPL 405: Metropolitan Planning – 2 credit Units
Delineation of metropolitan are and influence zone; Role of metropolis as regional centre, as well as pole for innovation diffusion; Origin, growth, decay, functional areas and spatial organization, form, structure, problems, and potentials of metropolis; Central areas: movement problems, planning for rapid spatial growth; scope and nature of urban renewal, slums, basic factors and reasons for slum redevelopment; slums and socio-economic implications of slums. Preparation of capital improvement programmes.

URPL 407: Planning Administration – 2 Credit Units
Introduction to the elements and principles of administration in planning; Planning administration in democratic and centralized polities, planning Management and decision making at various levels and within parastatals and line ministries; The administration for implementing Urban physical Plans: the legal, the administrative structure, and financing the implementation of urban physical plans. Land administration and policy; Information systems and techniques of reporting, evaluation and review of plans; the administrative framework of Development control: Need, strategies, mechanics and problems of enforcing development control; Public participation in planning, etc.

URPL 409: Planning Law – 2 Credit Units
Purpose and legal basis of planning legislation. General introduction to the legal processes of legislation, contract, adjudication and the concept of justice. A review of the evolution of law relating to land and Urban and Regional Planning in Nigeria and other countries. A critical review of some Urban and Regional Planning Laws and Acts like the Town and Country Planning Law, Redevelopment Act, Urban Renewal Act, Anti-Pollution Act, etc. Recent trends in planning legislation. Land Tenure and Land Policy. A review of the misuse of fundamental rights under the Nigerian Constitution relating to land, and land development. The Land Use Act, its provisions and limitations. Building by – laws and their applications to regulate urban growth and direct development. Legal aspects of review and approval process of land use plans. Planning law as a mechanism for solving urban problems of health, congestion and pollution.

URPL 411: Disaster Mitigation and Mangement – 2 Credit Units
What is a disaster; types of disasters: natural and man-made; causes of disasters; consequences/effects of disasters; cities and disasters; disaster management and mitigation: process, strategies and approaches; who is responsible for disaster management.

URPL 419: Urban Development Plan Studio Practice – 2 Credit Units
A project lasting the full semester will be assigned on the preparation of Physical Development Plan of a selected Urban area or sector. It will include surveys, analysis, production synthesis and preparation of the Development Plan including policies for implementation. The presentation will include relevant drawing, tables, charts and written report.

500 Level courses

URPL 501: Advanced Planning Theory – 2 Credit Units
Critique of the nature of limits of planning; Systems view of Planning; Different epistemologies of Planning; Public participation in Planning; Planning and professionalism; Sustainable cities concept and strategies; Models in planning; Social conflicts and social justice in the city, and implications for planning and land use. Gender perspectives and sensitivity in planning.

URPL 502: Planning Seminar – 2 Credit Units
Each student will present a technical paper following all the norms of technical report writing, on a topic related to his/her final year project as shall be approved by the Department.

URPL 503: National Development Planning – 2 Credit Units
Scope and nature of National Development Planning; analysis of the National Planning Process – the characteristics and conflicts; Role of National Economic Planning and Physical Planning in National development; need and Principles for integration of Economic and physical planning; the National Planning agencies; National Perspective Planning; the need, contents and procedure; Review of National Development Plans of Nigeria with particular reference to the economic, physical and social components; project monitoring and evaluation in Rolling Plans.

URPL 505: Environmental Impact Assessment – 2 Credit Units
Concept of the environment, systems of environment/studies. Concept of Environmental Impact. Ecosystem in their undisturbed forms, socio-economic systems. Spatial systems (settlements, transportation, land use, etc). Environmental protection, feasibility studies – technology in industry, agricultural production and processing and the environmental impacts. Techniques of Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Policy uses of EIAR, Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Audit, etc. Nuisance abatement and performance standards. Environmental conservation as an aspect of environmental protection.

URPL 507: Public Finance Management – 2 Credit Units
Development indices: National goals and economic decision making system in Nigeria. Fiscal system in Nigeria. Local taxation and property taxation systems and their relative effects on investment activities. State and Local fiscal relations; financing and local services. Sources and methods of obtaining public revenues. Public budget making, public works, project financing, scheduling and management. Fiscal programming and long term budgeting; financing of capital improvements. PPBS project evaluation, Comparative systems of public finance. Impact of the private sector on shaping the urban environment, focusing on financial, political legal and other forces. The functions of governmental expenditure in the national economy. Fiscal policies and sectroal outlays; spatial implications of investment decisions.

URPL 509: Project Planning and Evaluation – 2 Credit Units
Conception, uses and limits of Project Planning and M and E. The process of project planning – Phasing, time scheduling, financing, budgeting and manpower assessment. Techniques of project appraisal, project monitoring and evaluation. Feasibility study and report. Sensibility analysis, its use and misuse. Uncertainty, variations, and demarcations. Investment decisions under political, social and economic uncertainty.

URPL 511: Professional Practice – 2 Credit Units
Definition of profession, Development of planning profession in Nigeria. The professional registration Process and Procedures. Code of professional conduct and practice. Planning consultancy in Nigeria: its history, procedure and future trends. Competition, disputes and arbitration. Office practice and the setting up of private consultancy. Professional scale of fees; principles, and current fees. Initiation of projects:

1.  In public office,
2. In private office

Selection of project team. Writing of planning briefs. Marketing professional services and the running of professional office.

URPL 513: Housing Policy and PRogrammes – 2 Credit Units
Policy Goals and objectives in Housing. Social, Economic and Environmental Elements in Housing, Concepts, analysis, and measurements of Housing Need, and Demand. Housing in developing countries. Analysis of Housing Finance and its effect on Housing development. Review of Housing resources. Component analysis of National Housing Polices and the administration of Housing in Nigeria.

URPL 519: Advanced Planning Studio Practice – 2 Credit Units
Students will review/prepare a selected life planning project e.g. institution Campus Planning, Market Design, Regional road plan, Road Alignment and Widening Schemes, Master Plan of small towns. Preparation of Action Plan. All planning knowledge and skills acquired so far are to be applied as appropriate. Group and individual work to be assessed in a public crit session and graded.

URPL 500: Final Project – 6 Credit Units
The research project is to be undertaken in stages as follows: First student will identify a research project problem, set aims objectives, scope and limitation and complete field surveys and preliminary analysis; and Second, students complete the final analysis, synthesize the results, and suggest recommendations as appropriate. The performance of each student will be assessed in a series of reviews by the staff and then by an external examiner appointed in accordance with the University’s guidelines. Each student shall display and explain his /her work for assessment and to submit a technical report of the project.

Restricted Electives

This category of courses for 100 level – 400 level are offered in other departments of ABU, so students are to refer to the relevant Handbooks. Those for 500 level are offered in the Department and are described as follows:

URPL 544: Advanced Transportation Planning – 2 Credit Units
Transportation problems Models in Transportation Planning – Trip Generation, Trip Distribution, Traffic Assignment, Model split. Transport Policy. Institutional framework for Urban Transportation. Urban Mass Transit. Road Safety. Urban Land Use and Transportation. Transport and the Environment. Design of Residential areas and patterns of transport network. Economic Evaluation of Transport projects. Contemporary Issues in Transportation.

URPL 546: Urban Management – 2 Credit Units
Management perspectives of Urban problems – serviceability, liveability, imageability. Urban problems in developed and developing countries. UNCHS model and components of urban management: Housing and services, environmental planning and management, etc. Role of town planners in urban management. Nigerian urban management score – National urban development policy, the Institutional organization case studies and performance levels. Urban management projects best practices World Wide.

URPL 548: Housing Programme – 2 Credit Units
Socio-economic objectives of National Housing Programmes; appraisal of existing objectives and principles of housing strategies in developing countries and Nigeria; private and public Housing; Site and Services, Low – Cost, Self – help and cooperative Housing Options; Mechanisms of Housing fund, Housing agencies, Interest rates and housing subsidy; The Housing construction industry in “Nigeria, Appraisal of achievements and failures.

URPL 554: Advanced Urban Design Studio Practice – 2 Credit Units
Study of urban design issues in existing cities; City and core area regeneration; Urban design plan formulation; 3D modelling for presentations