CPT866: Planning City Futures

School Cardiff School of Geography and Planning
Department Code GEOPL
Module Code CPT866
External Subject Code 100197
Number of Credits 20
Level L7
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Professor Alison Brown
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2023/4

Outline Description of Module

Urbanisation is one of the defining trends of the 21st century. Today, as UN figures show, over half the world’s population lives in cities, increasing to two thirds by 2050, with almost 90% of this growth in less developed regions. The most acute challenges of poverty, environmental pollution and climate change occur in poor and fragile states, and nearly one in seven of the world’s population now lives in slums and informal settlements. Meanwhile, in cities of the global North, economic change results in physical obsolescence and the need to create an urban renaissance, rejuvenating the fabric of cities.

This module introduces the theoretical debates surrounding issues of globalisation, governance and environment in different political, cultural and socio-economic urban contexts, followed by sectoral studies of planning and policy for land, housing, transport, and infrastructure, within a rights-based critique. 

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  1. Understand debates on the nature and purpose of planning interventions and their role in shaping alternative city futures
  2. Evaluate the contributions of planning interventions to making place/mediating space
  3. Assess 21st challenges – e.g.: globalisation, climate change, poverty reduction, and their implications for urban sustainability and development
  4. Develop an understanding of urban spatial systems and the processes of urban change
  5. Understand sectoral approaches to city development and management and the role of key actors in the development process
  6. Develop skills in assessing policy outcomes.

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through lectures and seminars, in-person and on campus unless mitigating circumstances arise. Seminars will enable small group discussion about key issues relevant to the module. Students are expected to engage with additional module content on Learning Central e.g. readings or other material, to prepare for lectures and seminars, and to supplement and deepen taught components.

Skills that will be practised and developed

Skills developed through the module include:

  1. Development of an awareness of current drivers of urban changes,
  2. Skills in understanding and critical analysis, and
  3. Analytical, essay writing and presentation skills.

How the module will be assessed

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment takes place throughout the module.  There are learning checks in every lecture and the workshops which support the assessments provide an opportunity for peer to peer and tutor feedback.

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:

Students are permitted to be reassessed in a module which they have failed, in line with University regulations.. You will only be reassessed on the components of the module in which you have failed. The format of the reassessment will be the same as the original assessment and will take place in the Summer re-sit period.

Data collection and Ethical Approval

For some assessments, students may be required to collect their own data. In such assessments ethical approval from the School Research Ethics Committee must be obtained before data collection can begin. The module leader will discuss the process for obtaining ethical approval if it is needed in this module. Ethical approval is not needed for students using existing, open data sets (e.g. anonymised secondary data). This does not include social media data (e.g., Twitter or Facebook posts), where ethical approval must be obtained. The ethical approval process will take time and you are strongly recommended to adhere to the timetable outlined by the module leader to ensure you are not delayed in your assessment.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Presentation 20 Groupwork Analysis & Presentation N/A
Written Assessment 80 Essay N/A

Syllabus content

Drawing on an international comparative analysis, this module examines some of the critical challenges facing cities in both the developing and developed world, before exploring key sectoral approaches to managing city futures, including housing, transport, urban economies, and urban environments.


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