Cities, Culture and Politics

F2023

By og Plan / Nordic Urban Planning Studies

Course

English

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

Sign up for study activities at STADS Online Student Service within the announced registration period, as you can see on the Study administration homepage. When signing up for study activities, please be aware of potential conflicts between study activities or exam dates. The planning of activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programs which do not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programs, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

5

David Pinder (dpinder@ruc.dk)

Lasse Martin Koefoed (lmartin@ruc.dk)

IMT Registration & Exams (imt-exams@ruc.dk)

U60325

This course address how processes of globalization and mobility are transforming cities and urban life, and how they are creating new political and cultural conditions and challenges for planning. Questions include: how are diverse cities organized, governed and planned? What are 'good cities’, and how might they be created with room for diversity and cultural coexistence? What is the potential for intervening in urban spaces and processes through planning as well as forms of tactical urbanism, performance and art practice?

These questions are considered through the use of current research-based cases, and by bringing together theoretical and analytical knowledge and understanding of cultural and political processes with specific practices and interventions on the ground. Emphasis is put on students developing ways of investigate and communicate their analyses using different means.

This course addresses how processes of globalization and mobility are transforming cities and urban life, and how they are creating new political and cultural conditions and challenges for planning. Questions include: how are diverse cities organized, governed and planned? What are 'good cities’, and how might they be created with room for diversity and cultural coexistence? What is the potential for intervening in urban spaces and processes through planning as well as forms of tactical urbanism, performance and art practice?

These questions are considered through using current research-based cases, and by bringing together theoretical and analytical knowledge and understanding of cultural and political processes with specific practices and interventions on the ground. Emphasis is put on students developing ways to investigate and communicate their analyses using different means.

The course introduction explores the key themes of cities, culture and politics in the current context of globalisation and neoliberalism, which have profoundly reshaped urban experiences and paths of development. Subsequent lectures, discussions, walking tours and site visits address aspects of these themes and especially with reference to Copenhagen and to its areas of Nørrebro and Nordvest. Training is also given in consultancy work and the forms this takes, and students are invited to respond to course questions through developing in groups or individually a consultancy report or other approved product relating to a defined urban problem or issue.

Readings for each session are provided on Moodle before the start of the course. A volume that is useful context for the course as a whole is:

Rossi, Ugo and Vanolo, Alberto 2011, Urban Political Geographies: A Global Perspective. London, Sage.

Study intensity Outline • The proposed study intensity for a student in this activity: 135 hours

• The proposed distribution of hours on teaching and learning activities Lectures, discussions and in-class exercises: 25 Preparation for lectures and exercises: 70 Assignment: 40

Teaching and learning activities

There are eight course sessions. These combine lectures, class discussions and field trips or other excursions. Further details are uploaded to Moodle.

The course is mainly taught at RUC. It may also include field trips and excursions.

Evaluation is via an anonymous online survey distributed to all participants. The course will also be discussed with participants in the final session and reviewed at the NUPS Education Committee with input from student representatives.

Dates for the sessions and exam to be added.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the significance of aspects of globalization, urban politics, cultural diversity and everyday life for urban planning

• Understand and critically reflect on practices of intercultural planning as well as forms of urban intervention and performance in relation to urban development

• Analyse forms and consequences of policy, planning and spatial practices in relation to diverse and power-laden geographies of cities and urban life

• Identify and engage with significant urban questions, issues and contexts that relate to the course themes, and to communicate analysis effectively using appropriate textual and visual means.

Portfolio written in a group or individually

Permitted group size: 2-6 students. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits. The content of the portfolio must be individualised.

The character limits of the portfolio are :
For 1 student: maximum 12,000 characters, including spaces.
For 2 students: maximum 16,800 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: maximum 19,200 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: maximum 24,000 characters, including spaces.
For 5 students: maximum 28,800 characters, including spaces.
For 6 students: maximum 30,000 characters, including spaces.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The portfolio's specific products and the (if relevant) recommended size (character limits) for the individual products are made public on study.ruc.dk before the course begins.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time (uploaded to eksamen.ruc.dk). Handing in the portfolio or parts of the portfolio to the supervisor for feedback, cannot replace the upload to eksamen.ruc.dk.
The submission deadline will be announced on study.ruc.dk before the course begins.


Assessment: 7-point grading scale

Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam

The portfolio exam consists of a choice of EITHER a consultancy report (written individually or in a group) with an individual reflection paper, OR another product of a form approved by the course organiser (produced individually or in a group) with an individual reflection paper. The format, tasks and locations of the consultancy report and alternative approved products will be introduced at the start of the course and explained further on Moodle. The alternative forms may include photo essay or podcast. The total word length of all the submitted written materials must be within the lengths specified in the study regulations. Advice on the assignments and appropriate lengths of each portfolio component will be given on Moodle and during course sessions. Assessment criteria – emphasis will be put on the ability to: • Show understanding of the significance of aspects of globalisation, urban politics, cultural diversity and everyday life for urban planning • Reflect critically on practices of intercultural planning and related forms of urban intervention, performance and development • Identify and analyse urban planning questions and issues that relate to course themes, and to communicate that analysis and its implications effectively through appropriate approved forms.