Cities are complex and often contradictory. They may be spaces of sanctuary but also danger, of aspiration and destitution, the locus of power and powerlessness. They are dependent on nature and yet often framed as unnatural. Urban geographers seeks to understand the complexity of cities and urban lives. In this module we will introduce you to core concepts in contemporary urban geography and urban studies such as inequality, exclusion and segregation, nature and the city, the ways in which social groups make claims on space and place, politics in (and of) the city and urban futures. We will engage critically with examples from the UK and other parts of the world to think about the state and future of an urbanising world more broadly.
By the end of the module you should be able to:
- Demonstrate an intermediate level of understanding of key debates in urban geography.
- Analyse contemporary case studies using core concepts from urban geography.
- Demonstrate an intermediate ability to observe change in the urban landscape.