AIM OF THE PRIZE
Teaching in the broad field of planning is one of the main activities of AESOP Member Schools. Thus, in 2002, AESOP introduced a prize which recognizes and encourages Excellence in Teaching (for more information about the prize itself please click www.aesop-planning.eu/activities/awards/excellence-in-teaching-award). Through this award, AESOP celebrates and disseminates innovative practices in teaching in its Member Schools. The broad aim of the Prize is to stimulate the development of planning courses or groups of courses in order to better prepare students for their forthcoming practice, to further educate practitioners, and to promote the development of a critical perspective. The specific purpose of the prize is to promote and encourage planning schools to innovate in ways that enhance the knowledge and skills necessary to respond to new global planning challenges. The Award provides an important opportunity to disseminate effective practice and importantly to celebrate teaching quality amongst European Schools of Planning.
THE THEME OF THE PRIZE IN 2022
Educational approaches addressing Spatial Planning for Spatial Justice for all
Spatial justice has been an issue of concern in the planning community for decades. Still, spatial disparities stubbornly remain, for example, for access to services, green spaces, jobs etc. Similarly, certain communities are more affected by the impacts of climate change, or suffer more from air, water, and noise pollution with detrimental effects on their health. Moreover, given that anthropocentric activities are leaving lasting marks on our planet, changing not only the climate but habitats and ecosystems – a range of scientists have warned that there is a need to rethink human’s relationship with the environment. Warning of mass-extinctions, these scientists are urging a broader perspective of spatial justice, i.e., one that includes the protection of healthy habitats for more than human communities.
For this year’s teaching prize, then, we are looking for pedagogies and courses that offer innovative approaches of teaching (about) spatial justice concepts and practices. This may include topics of equity, spatial justice and inclusivity in planning in general as well as with and through community-engaged activities and service-learning projects.
The jury in particular welcomes entries that creatively address concepts of spatial justice in different contexts, including technical and operational perspectives of nature and biodiversity preservation or regeneration. Special consideration will be given to courses that are inclusively examining multispecies justice and giving attention also to more-than-human communities living within our cities and ecosystems.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Only AESOP member schools can be nominated for this prize. The course must have been successfully implemented for at least one year. Applicants can either be:
- a planning school;
- a planning department within a university; or
- a group of teaching staff or an individual belonging to an AESOP Member school.
HOW TO APPLY
Please, use the electronic application form available from the AESOP web site.
All material must be submitted electronically.
Applications must be received by 11 July 2022.
Applications must include a full description of the course or module, as it is described and structured in the 2022 application form.
THE JURY
A panel of academics (AESOP Excellence in Teaching Award Committee) will judge the nominees. The panel will consist of AESOP members, including a representative from AESOP’s Young Academics Network.
AWARDING THE PRIZE
A prize of €1000 will be announced online and during the AESOP Conference 2022 (following the Summer Council of Representative meeting in August).
The winner (or a representative of the winning team/programme) will be expected to make an audio-visual presentation about the prize-winning teaching practice at the 2023 AESOP Congress. He/she/they will also be expected to allow a description of the programme to be presented on AESOP’s website and are invited to produce a write-up for Transactions of AESOP.
