Under the Building Act, during the permitting process for buildings and other proposed developments, structures are evaluated in terms of their siting, impact on the surrounding area, and relationship to neighbouring buildings as well as civil engineering and transport infrastructure.

The permit formally approves the development proposal and establishes conditions for land use, spatial protection, and subsequent stages of design documentation.

Site layout plans are among the essential drawings required for development permitting, and their content and format form the primary focus of this course.

Design documentation for development consent integrates numerous engineering disciplines, which the civil engineer, as the lead designer, must be capable of incorporating, coordinating, or directly designing.

Future design engineers will encounter the preparation of site plans and the spatial integration of structures with their environment on a daily basis. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to, among other topics: the real estate cadastre and land ownership rights; protective zones of structures; utility and transport infrastructure—including property rights and technical requirements for grid connections; the environmental impact of developments (agricultural land protection, air quality protection, landscape and forest preservation, SEA, EIA, IPPC); the Water Act; and many others.