| Unit name | Cities and communities in the urban age |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL30062 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Sweeting |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Now that the world has entered ‘the urban age’, where for the first time more than half the world lives in cities, this unit examines contemporary issues facing cities and communities within them. The unit will consider contemporary global trends as they impact on urban areas, such as urbanisation, globalisation and climate change, and the capacity of cities to respond to them. More locally embedded processes and trends which are apparent in urban areas and impact on urban communities, such as gentrification, urban inequality and poverty, and policy responses to them, will also be considered. The unit will consider the potential of cities to be ‘sustainable’ and ‘resilient’, analyse how cities are led and are governed, and how citizens and communities might take part in processes of democracy and governance where they live. Underlying the unit are deeper questions related to the nature and distribution of power, and inclusion and exclusion in urban areas.
In national and international contexts, the unit aims are:
By the end of the course students will
Teaching will comprise blended learning involving a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including weekly lectures, study group sessions, and self-directed learning exercises.
Part 1 - Policy brief (1000 words) (25%)
Part 2 - Exam (2 hours) (75%) The exam will consist of 2 long answer questions, equally weighted.
Both assessments cover all ILOs 1-3.
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, unsuccessful students may be offered an opportunity for reassessment in the failed element(s). This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL30062).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
