Property Development & Planning

Property development and planning sit at the heart of how the built environment changes over time. Property development involves identifying, financing, designing, and delivering new buildings and the adaptation of existing ones, requiring an understanding of markets, finance, planning law, and construction. Planning asks how land use should be regulated and guided in the public interest, balancing the needs of economic development with environmental sustainability, housing supply, community wellbeing, and the preservation of the character of places.

Together, the two disciplines address the fundamental question of how the places in which people live, work, and move are shaped and reshaped.

At Nottingham Trent University, this four-year full-time programme develops your understanding of both the commercial and the regulatory dimensions of the property and planning sector. You will study the economics and finance of property development, planning law and policy, urban design, land management, and the appraisal and valuation techniques used to assess development proposals. The programme reflects the realities of a sector in which public and private actors are constantly negotiating, and it prepares you to work effectively on either side of that negotiation.

NTU has strong connections with the property and planning professions in the East Midlands, a region with active property markets and significant development pressure in cities such as Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby.

Graduates of property development and planning programmes work in local authorities as planning officers, in private development companies and consultancies, in real estate and property investment, in housing associations, and in central government. The degree provides a foundation for professional accreditation through the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, depending on the route taken. Postgraduate study in planning, real estate, or urban development is also available for those wishing to specialise further.