GEOG3967: URBAN GOVERNANCE

• Any Level 2 Geography module

• None

• None

• To develop students understanding of the diverse geographical processes through which cities come to be politically governed
• To promote an appreciation of how social, economic and political negotiation and struggle serve to shape the form and nature of life in contemporary cities
• To demonstrate the value of theoretical perspectives in understanding the governance, production and life of cities
• To undertake critical analysis through theoretical and empirical engagement of how urban geographies are produced and contested
• To critically engage key conceptual, empirical and policy debates in seminar discussion

• Interpreting the Landscapes of Urban Governance
• Conceptualizing Urban Governance and City Politics
• Governing Urban Downtowns
• Governing Suburbia
• Governing Urban Crises
• Post-Democratic Cities
• Cities of Dissent and Insurgence

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• Identify some of the key theoretical and conceptual debates that are mobilized to interpret urban formation, governance and contestation in contemporary cities
• Show appreciation of the significant substantive changes occurring in the ways in which cities in the world are orchestrated and politically governed
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of the policy relevance of the changing nature of governance in cities
• To critically understand the role of a range of actors in the material production and contestation of urban geographies

Subject-specific Skills:

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• To locate subject-specific theoretical and substantive literature in library, electronic databases and other key sources
• Read with critical insight a range of arguments about the governance of cities
• To develop and execute a written piece of work that effectively engages with key conceptual and substantive themes in debates on city governance

Key Skills:

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• Communicate the results of reading and research on selected themes by means of written examination
• Demonstrate a capacity to evaluate and build on academic performance: through the formative and summative assessments; responding to feedback; managing time effectively; and synthesising knowledge and information from a range of sources encountered as part of the course

• Online lectures (pre-recorded and asynchronous) will provide detailed discussion of the key content, ideas, and concepts to be covered in the module, supplemented by case studies and additional material.
• Readings will be provided for each topic. Active reading and note-taking will constitute a key mode of learning and will enhance knowledge and understanding of the themes of the module and encourage students to synthesize information from different sources.
• Each weekly topic will include an asynchronous online study package: this will comprise guided learning activities to help students engage actively with the lectures and readings.
• Fortnightly synchronous webinars or seminars will enable students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the topics through in-person discussion with the instructor.
• Students will also use on-line discussion forums to pose questions and engage in discussion in response to the study packages.
• Assessment will examine critical understanding of concepts and critical thinking

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