Discipline: Built and Sustainable Communities

Instructions

PEH20004 BUILT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Assessment Task 2: Essay Total Marks 40 % Essay Task Over the past 30 years, internationally, a number of concepts and strategies have emerged aimed at addressing issues impacting on the sustainability of communities.

These include concepts such the Triple Bottom Line, Cleaner Production, the Natural Step Process, Health Cities, the Ecological Footprint, Life Cycle Analysis the Millennium Development Goals, Health Impact Statements, Carbon Emission Trading schemes – to name a few!! Your task is to; • select one of these concepts or strategies • describe its purpose • provide an example (or refer to a case study) where this approach has been applied

• discuss whether you consider this concept or strategy was or has been successful in addressing issue(s) impacting on the sustainability of communities (e.g. the provision of adequate food and water supplies, suitable transport and housing, reducing energy emissions, addressing issues associated with climate change etc.)

Resources You are encouraged to consult a range of sources including journals, books and other material relevant to this topic when completing this assignment. However, your essay must be supported by at least 4 peer reviewed articles.

Examples of appropriate articles are provided on Blackboard and you may use these if you wish, however you are encouraged to find additional articles appropriate to your essay topic and discussion. Word Limit: 1500 words Marks will be deducted for essays +/- 10% of this limit General writing style Use your own words to explain and describe concepts, avoid complex language and jargon. When defining a term or concept use a definition which you can also understand and reference it.

If you cannot find an explanation that is easy to understand, then this will probably become the point of your discussion! Do not assume the reader is familiar with the terms that are relevant to the topic, you must explain these, supported by references.

The point of the reference is not only to avoid plagiarism, but to enable the reader to source where the information came from so they may also refer to this work and make a decision regarding the point you have made. Format When preparing your written submission please ensure that you:

• Provide a signed cover sheet (available from Blackboard via the Assessment tab) • Number the pages • Provide a separate page for list of references • Use 1.5 line spacing and leave a space between paragraphs • Use subheadings where appropriate • Include the assessment criteria at the end of your assignment • Keep a copy for later verification if required Referencing Please ensure that your essay is correctly referenced according to the Harvard or APA Referencing Style. Guidelines on referencing style can be found through the Swinburne Library.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you appropriately acknowledge any source of information that you use in your assignment. For example, references are required when:

• Making a statement based on information from another source. • Quoting directly from another writer/source

• Paraphrasing another writer There are not a set number of references that you should provide to support your work; the aim is to ensure the above points have been addressed. However, as an indicator for an assignment such as this you would normally need to acknowledge about 5 sources (inclusive of the 4 peer review articles mentioned) The following sections have been prepared to further support this assignment .

Essay structure Introduction Outlines the purpose of the essay and introduces the ‘concept or strategy’ which is to be discussed in the essay. Approximately 10% of the word count. Body (usually 2 or 3 paragraphs) Each paragraph should introduce the topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentence which transitions to the next paragraph. E.g. Start to explore your concept. What is the concept you have selected and what is its purpose? (Improve social, economic or environmental impacts, reduce emissions, encourage better use of materials, improve transport networks, planning, encourage job growth or all of these?)

Provide an example of the application of the concept or strategy you have selected as a means to address the issue you have highlighted. Is there evidence that the concept or strategy selected has worked or been successful in addressing the issue? What were the barriers, challenges or consideration for the future?

Conclusion Reinstate the topic that you have been discussing, and provide a summary of the major points in your essay. Do not introduce any new information, usually 10% of the word count. Other tips Supporting statements with evidence and discussing the issues It is important when providing statements; evidence is provided to support it. When making a statement such as “Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting is an excellent concept” you must explain why it is an excellent concept and support this with evidence. To claim it is an “excellent” concept, the evidence supplied must be able to convince the reader that this is the case. This evidence would include published peer reviewed research that has been able to demonstrate this. If you cannot find evidence to support that TBL is considered an “excellent” concept, discuss what evidence is available and what this may indicate about the concept. Providing a statement alone or a string of statements (with or without a reference!) is not a discussion, and invariably does not assist in supporting your argument. Submission Instructions Please submit one electronic copy of your assignment via the assessment link on Blackboard by the due date. Your written submission must include an Assignment Cover Sheet (available on Blackboard under Assessment) Late submission will attract a penalty of 10% of the available mark for per day late (including weekends). Turnitin Please also submit a draft copy of your assignment to Turnitin in order to check for plagiarism. The copy that you submit to Turnitin will not be assessed. This is an opportunity to make necessary changes prior to the final submission. Please note you should submit your draft at least 24 hours prior to the final submission deadline as it can take some time for a plagiarism report to be generated. This will enable you to make any necessary changes. A plagiarism score or 20% or more can mean that you may have not correctly acknowledged the source of your work. You may require assistance in order to address this issue. If you are unsure how to rectify this, please contact Study support and academic advice as previously advised. Assessment Rubrics Please visit the blackboard site for the assessment rubrics for this assignment. You can view the rubrics via the submission link for the assignment.