Course Title: Law and Urban Development

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Law and Urban Development

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUIL1147	City Campus	Undergraduate	325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012
BUIL1148	Singapore Inst of Management	Undergraduate	325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt	Face-to-Face	Offsh 1 08, Offsh 1 09, Offsh 1 11, Offsh 3 09, Offsh 3 10, Offsh 3 11, Offsh1 12, Offsh3 12

Course Coordinator: Koorosh Gharehbaghi

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 39925 2230

Course Coordinator Email:koorosh.gharehbaghi@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

See part B.

Course Description

Construction Law investigates into various legal aspects of construction project such as Insurances, different types of Contracts, Delays; and VCAT. Urban Development examines Infrastructure Asset Management and other related issues, such as Environmental Assessment and Procedures; Influences of Urban development; Infrastructure Asset Deterioration Model/s; Disaster Management & Recovery planning and overarching Project Management. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

By end of the course students should be familiar with various concepts of construction contracts, and possess comprehensive understanding of Urban Development issues such as Infrastructure Asset Management.

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to understand the fundamental legal aspects of the construction projects, and the development and process of Urban Design including comprehensive understanding of Infrastructure Asset Management processes.

Overview of Learning Activities

This course consists of formal lectures and tutorials. Areas which will be covered include: Urban Development; Influences of Urban development; Urban Management Structure & Philosophy; and Urban Development Mechanism, Infrastructure Asset Deterioration Model/s, Disaster Management & Recovery planning, Remedies for Breach of Contract; Compensable Delays; and VCAT.

Overview of Learning Resources

Although there are many Books and Journals available to be used as a reference, class notes will provide the theories required for the lectures. However, other sources (Books, Journals, Web etc) are necessary to complete the major assignment. In addition, for the end of semester exam, students are highly advised to research additional material using various options available. These additional information sourced by the students will provide additional illustrations of the theories used. Students are advised to investigate and familiar themselves with the Building acts and regulation which are provided in the following web side:
http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/www/html/1337-legislative-publications.asp

Other useful references include:-
• Acharya, Shanta, “Asset Management: equities demystified”, John Wiley, 2002.
• Brownsword, Roger, “Contract Law: themes for the twenty-first century”, 2nd edition, New York: oxford university press, 2006.
• Carter, John, “Carter’s guide to Australian Law”, LexisNexis, 2006.
• Chen-Wishart, Mindy, “Contract Law”, 1st edition, New York: oxford university press, 2005.
• Clarke, Philip, “Contract Law”, 3rd edition, Sydney: LexisNexis Butterworths, 2005.
• Graw, Stephen, “An introduction to the law of contract”, 5th edition, Pyrmont, N.S.W.: Lawbook Co, 2005.
• Otto, Loistle, “Asset Management Standards: corporate governance for asset management”, 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Twort, C. Alan, “Civil Engineering Project Management”, 4th edition, Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, 2004.

Overview of Assessment

Assesment is based on assignment/s and end of semester exam. To pass this subject, students are required to attempt all assessment tasks and to obtain a minimum of 50% overall.