Master of Science in Spatial Planning

The provision of post-graduate planning education is a new departure for the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. It has arisen out of the need for the country to provide planning education that is contextual and responsive to the current planning challenges in Zambia and the Southern African Region. Mindful of the strategic goals set in the National Development Plans, the Department seeks to provide a planning education that advocates ethical, sustainable, pro-poor, gender-sensitive, and participatory planning practice. To ensure that the programme reflects the needs of planning in Southern Africa, the Department has engaged with the Association of African Planning Schools (AAPS), a voluntary network of higher-education programmes and departments which educate and train city/urban and regional planners. This has led to the identification of five important themes that should underpin planning education in our context. The five themes critical for African urbanization are: planning and informality; planning and climate change; planning and infrastructure; actor collaboration; and urban land markets. These themes form the core of this curriculum.

The aim of the MSc in Spatial Planning is to establish a Programme of higher education and training at the post-graduate level which has the relevant focus of subject coverage and the necessary intellectual depth to develop individuals to exercise the intellectual, analytical and inter-personal competences which are required of professional planners working in Zambia.   In particular, the Programme aims to:

Strengthen the capacity of the Government, society and industry of Zambia to improve urban conditions and secure the sustainable development of the country’s economy whilst protecting the environment

Emphasize the role of participatory engagement in the development of human settlements as places providing the conditions for social well-being, productive life chances, and respecting the sustainability of the environment

Impart a body of knowledge, understanding, values, ethics and skills that are directly relevant to the practice of the profession of urban and regional planning in Zambia

Increase the pool of professional planners working with planning authorities and public agencies, in the development sector and in planning consultancies in Zambia

Courses in Programme include

• Local Area Planning Project
• Planning Theory and Practice
• Research Methodology
• Planning for Urban Transition
• Urban District Development Project
• Land and Property Development Processes
• Environmental Management and Planning
• Urban Infrastructure
• Planning for Sustainable Regional 
• Planning Law and Governance
• Dissertation.

Programme Coordinator: Dr. Gilbert Siame.