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Cities: From Local to Global (ABPL20035)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Cities remain the dominant form of civilization in the 21st century, and they are locations where humanity’s struggle for survival takes place. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, they are the world’s engine of growth. As the economist Ed Glaeser puts it, “we are an urban species,” and there are no signs of any slowdown in the growth of cities. Global cities play an increasingly important role at the global and regional level: From Asia to Africa, from South and North America to Europe, large cities enjoy significant competitive advantages and serve as primary nodes in the globalized economic system. They interact with states and other international actors, pursue objectives that are often intertwined with global economic agendas, and are crucial to questions related to climate change, mobility and migration, technological innovation, economic development and infrastructure.
But what makes cities so incredibly important is not just population or economics stats. Cities are humanity’s most realistic hope for future democracy to thrive, from the grassroots to the global. Cities are places where people can see opportunities for a better and more prosperous life, but also dramatically display the challenges posed by social inequalities and exclusion.
This subject inquires: why do governments plan for cities and regions? What is the role of the private sector and civil society (individuals and community organizations) in planning? What kind of issues does planning respond to and what are the concepts, strategies, tools, and ethics involved in that planning response? Why do planning decisions make some people so angry? In short, why does planning matter in cities?
This subject moves from the local scale (neighbourhood planning issues) to the metropolitan (planning issues in my city-region) and international (planning issues in a global context) scales, in order to examine central issues and processes affecting planning systems worldwide, drawing on case studies from Australia, and countries in Asia and Africa. The subject is designed to provide an introductory understanding of key concepts and critical drivers of city development across scales and their relation to planning processes and outcomes.
Intended learning outcomes
You will be assessed on the following learning outcomes:
- Communicate their informed opinions on contemporary planning issues and principles in Australia and internationally, trends on these issues, and reasons for these trends;
- Evaluate and communicate indigenous and innovative approaches to city development;
- Assess and understand the drivers of city development, and hierarchical structure of city functionality;
- Analyze and contribute to current planning debates and related arguments on these issues and the reasons for trends and projections, and the various value positions;
- Develop and evaluate solutions to identified urban problems;
- Develop communication skills through independent research, essays, posters, and oral presentations.
Generic skills
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Use and citation of reference materials
- Written and verbal presentation of ideas
- Essay and report writing
- Application of generic theories to specific examples.
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Essay on one current sustainable means of urban transport in a selected city council
| Week 5 | 30% |
Essay on reducing inequalities in the context of metropolitan by analysing a strategic planning or policy document
| Week 9 | 40% |
Poster on how lessons from an international planning success story can be applied to Melbourne - 500 words plus illustrations
| Week 12 | 30% |
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Patrick Cobbinah Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 1.5 hour lecture and 1.5 hour tutorial per week. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 27 February 2023 to 28 May 2023 Last self-enrol date 10 March 2023 Census date 31 March 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 May 2023 Assessment period ends 23 June 2023 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings available on LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Environments Discipline subjects Major Urban Design and Planning Major Architecture Informal specialisation Bachelor of Design Elective Subjects Major Construction Breadth Track Urban Planning - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 11 April 2024