GEOG 2135 - Urban Futures | Course Outlines

GEOG 2135 - Urban Futures

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

More than half the world's population live in cities, making humanity a predominantly urban species. Drawing on Australian and international examples, this course explores the processes, potentialities and problems of urbanisation. It introduces students to different ways of explaining growth and change within cities; the diversity which exists across cities; and how urban inequalities - such as in housing - are exacerbated and addressed. Students will examine the environmental consequences of urbanisation, prospects for creating sustainable cities and the role of urban governance in securing social and environmental justice.

Open All

Course Details

Course Code	GEOG 2135
Course	Urban Futures
Coordinating Unit	Geography, Environment and Population
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of level 1 undergraduate study
Incompatible	GEST 2035, GEST 2020 or GEST 3020
Assessment	Participation and Exercises (30%), Group assignment (30%), Major assignment or take home exam (40%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Jennifer Bonham

Dr Jennifer Bonham

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1. Critical understanding of the key approaches (theoretical frameworks) used in the study of urbanisation and urban change.

2. Concepts and debates in urban studies.

3. Key issues facing Australian and selected overseas cities.

4. Critical understanding of current urban policies and programs.

Skills

5. Locate, synthesise and critically engage with urban research.

6. Ability to identify, locate and analyse primary data sources.

7. High level written and verbal communication skills.

8. Team work.

9. Construct and communicate logical and appropriately supported arguments.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	1,2,3
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	3
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	3
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1,2,3

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There are no required text books for this course. The course make considerable use of recently published journal articles.
All required reading will be uploaded or linked into MyUni.

Recommended Resources

Books
Davies, J.S., Imbroscio, D.L., Stone, C.N. (2010). Critical Urban Studies: New Directions. New York: State University of New York Press.
(BSL – Online resource).
Douglas, I (2013) Cities : An Environmental History. New York: I.B. Tauris (On-line resource)
Gregory, D. (2009). Dictionary of Human Geography. Malden, US: Blackwell. (BSL – Online resource).
Harding, A., Blokland, T. (2014). Urban Theory: A critical introduction to power, cities and urbanism in the 21st century. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Pacione, M. (2009). Urban Geography: A Global Perspective (Third edition). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Paddison, R. (2009). Handbook of Urban Studies. London: SAGE Publications (BSL – Online resource).

Key Journals
Cities
Environment & Urbanization
Geoforum
Geography Compass
Geographical Journal
Geographical Research
Health and Place
Housing Policy
Housing Studies
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Journal of Urban Affairs
Local Environment
Urban Geography
Urban Policy and Research
Urban Studies

Online Learning

This course makes extensive use of MyUni for communication and delivery of course materials.
All online lectures, tutorial readings and additional resource materials will be uploaded to and should be accessed via MyUni.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Primary modes of learning in this course will be online lectures, case-study reading (tutorials), facilitated tutorial discussion, assignment preparation, peer engagement. Students will be allocated reading and will be required to read and report back to the class on their article/chapter.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

While the relative proportion of contact and non-contact time may vary from course to course, a full-time student should expect to spend, on average, about 44 hours per week on her/his studies during teaching periods. Urban Futures, being a 3-unit course, will require 12 hours of work per week including class-time. Assignments and readings have been calculated on this basis.

Learning Activities Summary

The following Topics will be delivered via online lectures and discussed in tutorial sessions

Introduction: and overview of urban studies

Topic 1: Explaining urbanisation: Urban order, conditions and change I

Topic 2: National urban systems and global urban networks

Topic 3: Urban governance: Policy and planning Urban governance and the politics of micro-spaces

Topic 4: Sustainable Cities: Mobility, Housing, Public space

Small Group Discovery Experience

Students will have the opportunity to explore one of the topic areas in depth for a selected city (determined in conjunction with the course coordinator).

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assignment 1 (30%)
1.1. Participation 10%
1.2. Course quizzes 20%

Assignment 2: Group Assignment (presentation based) - (30%)
Students will select one of the following formats: Debate, Field Trip (Devise and conduct a class field trip), Innovation (present on an urban innovation - e.g. infrastructure, social-community facility/service)

Assignment 3: Discovery project OR take home exam (40%)
Discovery project - research and write a report on a selected city (determined in conjunction with the course coordinator)
Take home exam - 48 hours to complete an exam with short answer, quiz and essay components

Assessment Detail

No information currently available.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

This course was previously run in 2013 and students enjoyed the range of topics covered, the lively tutorial discussions and the variety and nature of assessment.

Students raised issues about the level of feedback on assignments and the amount of material covered in a short amount of time.
To address these issues the following changes have been made:
- the course now includes a quiz in week 6 so students can judge whether they have grasped key concepts
- assessment has been more evenly spaced across the semester so that students can receive timely feedback
- lecture material will be slightly reduced and interactive (Articulate story line) power points will be uploaded after lectures so that students can engage with lecture material to reinforce their learning
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator