Urban Planning Law

Teacher(s)

Born Charles-Hubert; Jans Damien;

Language

French

Main themes

The subject of the course is the urban and spatial planning law, mainly in the Walloon Region, what does not exclude comparisons with the other regional legislations. It contains two parts. The first one is dedicated, on one hand, to main rules - objectives, principles, institutional aspects - and to the instruments of the spatial planning (plans and programs of regional development). It aims at describing tools enabling authorities to plan the spatial structuralization of the territory and fix the land use allocation. The second part is dedicated to instruments allowing to implement concretely the urban planning rules, namely mainly the building and housing licences, the urban planning certificates as well as the controls and the penalties of the offences. It will describe the contents, the effects and the procedure of adoption of these acts of a big importance in the practice of the urban planning law.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	This course aims at three objectives: - to allow the student to acquire a basic knowledge of the main rules of urban and spatial planning law, principally in Walloon Law and to be able to handle the planning legislation, in constant evolution - to allow the student to apply this knowledge to case studies by analysing examples picked from the professional experience of teachers, in view to initiate the student to the administrative practice and to planning case law; - to allow the student to formulate critics on solutions provided by law actually in force. The course is based on participatory teaching methods (learning through projects or problems, review of the relevant case-law and doctrine, debates with guest speakers, field studies ...) which allow the students to develop independently a critical, forward-looking and inventive look on public international law. Students are encouraged to participate and to get involved in learning, which has both an individual and a collective dimension.

Content

The purpose of the Urban Planning Law course is to give students an introduction to Walloon urban planning law, in two parts.
The first part deals with :
- Concepts (land use planning, urban planning, territorial development), their definition
- The actors
- Schemes (SDT, SDC, SDP, SOL, ...) and the sector plan (content, effects, elaboration procedure)
- Urban planning guides (id.).
The second part deals with :
- Planning and urbanization permits (content, effect, issuing procedure)
- Control and sanctions in urban planning law

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The course is given in a lecture format, with examples from teachers' professional practice and with emphasis on interaction with students through readings of case law decisions or articles and by invitation of practitioners of urban planning law. Situational exercises can be organized on Moodle to prepare students for the exam.

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The exam is an oral exam, with two questions, the first one (on the 1st part, at CH Born) with a preparation time, the second one (on the 2nd part, at D. Jans) without preparation time. The questions deal with theory and simple situational exercises.

Other information

The course gives itself by a masterful statement, accompanied with concrete examples picked from the professional practice of the teachers and, if need be, with case studies. The course will be supported by two syllabi (one for every part). The exam is oral. The course of sustainable development law is pre-required.

Online resources

A syllabus is available on Moodle

Teaching materials

• Syllabus
• Code du développement territorial

Faculty or entity

BUDR