CP0141: Cities
School | Cardiff School of Geography and Planning |
Department Code | GEOPL |
Module Code | CP0141 |
External Subject Code | 100666 |
Number of Credits | 20 |
Level | L4 |
Language of Delivery | English |
Module Leader | Dr Richard Gale |
Semester | Spring Semester |
Academic Year | 2015/6 |
Outline Description of Module
For the first time in history more than half the world’s population now live in urban areas - understanding cities has never been more important. This module serves both to introduce students to the sub-discipline of urban geography, and to examine how cities function and operate, using key tools and concepts of the field. Specifically, the module examines the following issues: conceptualising and theorising urban space and place; spatial relations and structures; issues of urban economy, power and socio-spatial inequalities; urban policy attempts at combating uneven development; inequality and regeneration strategies; and social injustice in the form of social exclusion, the underclass and polarisation. Overall, the module has strong theoretical, conceptual and empirical components that seek to develop students’ understanding of the fundamental social and spatial dynamics of contemporary cities.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
- Explain the factors which have been influential in shaping the spatial structure of contemporary capitalist cities
- Engage in debates about the significance of the social construction of place
- Evaluate the spatial implications of urban policy and planning initiatives
How the module will be delivered
The module will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class debates, and guided independent study.
Skills that will be practised and developed
- Analytical skills: an ability to critique the conceptual tools and empirical arguments that characterise the paradigms and approaches prevailing within urban geography.
- Group discussion: an ability to participate in informed discussion of key urban geographical concepts and materials.
- Debating skills: an ability to engage in class debate over contending urban theories and their application in practice.
- Written presentation of ideas: an ability to set out key ideas of the field in a clear and coherent way, and to evaluate contending academic arguments.
- Responding to feedback: a capacity to take on board feed-back/-forward from the written assessment of the module and to build on these in the final examination.
How the module will be assessed
Students will be assessed through two mechanisms, a 2000-word essay, and an end-of-module unseen exam. Given that this is an introductory module, the rationale for this assessment strategy is to ensure that students cover the module material in sufficient analytical depth (to be achieved in the essay) and topical breadth (to be reflected in the exam).
Type of assessment
%
Contribution
Title
Duration
(if applicable)
Approx. date of Assessment
Essay
50%
Subject and titles to be defined within the module
2,000 words
Spring
Written examination
50%
1.5 hours
Spring
The potential for reassessment in this module
Students are permitted to be reassessed in a module which they have failed, in line with the course regulations. The reassessment will usually take place during the summer
Assessment Breakdown
Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
---|---|---|---|
Written Assessment | 50 | Essay | N/A |
Exam - Spring Semester | 50 | Cities | 1.5 |
Syllabus content
This module begins with an introduction to the key geographical concepts of space and place that shape the way we understand cities. We then consider the different scales at which cities operate, ranging from the global, in terms of the flows of capital, information and people that shape urban lives, through to the local, in terms of the neighbourhoods and communities within which these flows take shape. Topical issues considered by the module also include the importance of individual and collective identities to urban living, the politics of people and place, processes of gentrification and the urban geography of inequalities.
Essential Reading and Resource List
Allen, J et al (eds) (1999) Unsettling Cities London : Routledge
Hall, T. (2011) Urban Geography. London: Routledge. 4th Edition.
Hall, T et al (eds) (2008) The Sage Companion to the City London: Sage
Latham, A et al (2009) Key Concepts in Human Geography London : Sage
Pacione, M. (2009) Urban Geography. A Global Perspective, London: Routledge. 3rd Edition.
Background Reading and Resource List
Buck, N. et al (2005) Changing Cities. Rethinking Urban Competitiveness, Cohesion and Governance. London: Palgrave.
Eade, J. and Mele, C. (Eds.) (2002) Understanding the City. Oxford: Blackwell.
Fyfe, N. and Kenny, J. (Eds.) (2005) The Urban Geography Reader. London: Routledge.
Lees, L. et al (2010) the Gentrification Reader Routledge: London
Pile, S et al (eds) (1999) Unruly Cities? London:Routledge
Savage, M, Warde, A and Ward, K (2003) Urban Sociology, Capitalism and Modernity 2nd ed Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan