This module introduces students to a variety of themes in the field of geography, and explores how geographic analysis informs public policy and planning decisions. Students will acquire a broad understanding of key concepts principally in the fields of economic, political, and urban geography, including influential contemporary debates. It addresses these concepts in the context of real-world examples, providing students with relevant explanations and definitions of the processes of economic and political change across cities, regions, and nations. Topics include uneven development, globalisation, economic and political integration, city development and planning, and culture and well-being. The module explains and demonstrates the importance and significance of these issues in terms of the changing economy and society in which we live today, and how governments can influence such change.

• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of core and contemporary concepts in the fields of economic, political, and urban geography.
• Apply geographic concepts to understand real-world processes of economic and political change.
• Understand the challenges facing policymakers and planners in seeking in to implement new policies and practices at the city, regional, or national level.
• Explain why different cities, regions, and nations have developed and changed in different ways.
• Analyse the advantage and disadvantages associated with different forms of economic and political development.

The main mode of delivery for the module is a weekly session, which incorporates a combination of lectures (including guest speakers) and seminars involving individual and group student presentations and discussions. Therefore, at times you will be required to make presentations and/or lead discussions. In these cases students will be given sufficient time to prepare and practice your contribution Lectures are usually supplemented with PowerPoint slides and handouts summarising content at a reasonable level of detail.  Handouts are usually made available on Learning Central at least 24 hours before the session. These sessions are complemented by a field study visit (usually to an overseas city location) in order to gain first-hand experience of the key policy and planning issues explored in the module.

This module will allow students to practice and develop a range of both transferable and subject-specific skills. In particular, students will learn to critically analyse and evaluate both theoretical and policy-oriented literature, and reach an informed view with regard to the relevance, reliability and validity of this material. It will further allow students to develop their research skills and to develop independent ideas and problem-solving abilities. Students will be given the opportunity to improve their communication and presentational skills, as well as team working capabilities. Student will also gain a range of subject-specific skills, especially the capability to identify and assess how issues of geography underpin the economic, political and societal changes at play today.

The mode of assessment for this module consists of two written essay assignments (one in each semester), which in total account for 80% of the total module mark, and two seminar presentations (one individual and one as a part of group), which each account for 10% of the total module mark.

The module begins with a series of overview lectures highlighting the core themes to be explored in the forthcoming seminars. The themes include the link between geography and planning, concepts of space and place, uneven economic development, the geography of culture and well-being, and urban geography. The second part of the module seeks to examine these issues in more depth and to utilise particular case studies and examples, with the key areas of study including: the competitiveness and creativity of places; the geographic unevenness of money and enterprise; specialisation, agglomeration and the evolution of economic space; economic integration and multilevel governance; the role of regional policies; and political economy in the context of the European Union. The final part of the module ensures students are equipped with the necessary information and knowledge to maximise the effectiveness of the field study visit. All sessions and the field study visit are mandatory.

• Albrechts, Louis and Mandelbaum, Seymour (2005) The Network Society: A New Context for Planning, London: Routledge.
• Dunning, J. (ed) (2000) Regions, Globalization, and the Knowledge-Based Economy, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Florida, Richard (2002) The Rise of the Creative Class, Basic Books, New York.
• Hall, P. A. and D. Soskice (2001) (eds.) Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Harvey, David (2005) A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Oxford University Press
• Hoftstede, G. (1980) Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
• Huggins, Robert and Hiro Izushi (2007) Competing for Knowledge: Creating, connecting, and growing, Routledge, London
• McDonald, Frank and Dearden, Stephen (2005) European economic integration, Edition:4th ed., Harlow ; New York : Prentice Hall Financial Times.
• Saxenian, A. (1994). Regional advantage: Culture and competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Sen, A. (1999) Development as Freedom, Oxford: Oxford University Press.