GEOG13013 - Sustainable Regions and Cities

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will explore the immense economic, social and environmental transformation of regional Australia. It is roughly organized into three parts. During Part I, we will examine what rural and regional Australia is defined by policies and scholarships. We will also examine how sustainability is defined and measured in relation to regional development. Part II we’ll use multi-disciplinary perspectives to examine the key drivers and processes of rural and regional development in Australia (globalization, economic restructuring, demographic transition, and environmental change including natural disasters etc.). This involves not only an understanding of the wider changes, but also an appreciation of how these changes are experienced differently by places and people in terms of sustainability. Finally, during Part III we will examine sustainable development at three scales: region, regional city and community through case studies. We will pay particular attentions to sustainable planning and look at different ways regions, cities and communities achieve sustainability. The unit will conclude by considering what is necessary to meet the ongoing challenges to create regions and cities that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026

Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

This information will not be available until 8 weeks before term.
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 16.13% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Unit Coordinator self-reflection
Feedback
Continue refining and updating learning materials
Recommendation
The Unit Coordinator will enhance learning materials by incorporating more real-world case studies from Australian and international regions, developing interactive content, and ensuring resources reflect current urban sustainability practices.
Action Taken
The learning materials were enhanced by incorporating additional real-world case studies from Australian and international contexts and by updating resources to reflect current urban sustainability practices.
Source: Unit Coordinator self-reflection
Feedback
Implement a structured approach to monitor student engagement and provide timely support
Recommendation
The Unit Coordinator will implement a system for regular check-ins with students during tutorials to identify those who may need additional support. Progress tracking will include reviewing the completion of weekly activities, and students will receive regular reminders about upcoming deadlines and available support services.
Action Taken
The teaching team implemented a set of student support measures that included regular tutorial check-ins, monitoring of weekly activity completion, and timely reminders about upcoming deadlines.
Source: Student feedback and UC self-reflection.
Feedback
Students felt feedback was too generic and needed clearer links to assessment criteria.
Recommendation
All students to receive timely, individualised feedback that contains specific, actionable comments explicitly linked to the assessment criteria and key areas for improvement.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: UC self-assessment.
Feedback
Students lacked guidance on appropriate use of generative AI tools.
Recommendation
The Unit Coordinator will incorporate explicit guidance on the acceptable use of generative AI tools in the unit’s assessment into tutorial sessions, clarifying expectations and reducing the risk of inappropriate use.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes
This information will not be available until 8 weeks before term.
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.