GEO2148 : Urban Geography
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Astrid Wood
- Lecturer: Dr Wen Lin, Dr Emma Ormerod, Dr James Riding, Dr Gainbi Park, Dr Gareth Powells, Dr Niall Cunningham, Dr Robert Shaw, Dr Matthew Richmond, Dr Michael Richardson, Professor Alison Stenning
- Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
- To provide students with an understanding of urban geography
- To help students situate these understandings alongside debates in economic, political and social geographies
- To enable students to critically reflect upon urban geography concepts through the discussion of real-world case studies and examples
- To encourage students to develop independent learning skills through reading, research and writing
Outline Of Syllabus
The module is structured around four subsections: thinking with the city, the economic city, the political city, the social city.
These topics will consider the following overarching questions:
- Thinking with the city: What shapes the form and function of cities? In what ways does infrastructure, or the lack thereof, challenge traditional urban development?
- The economic city: How do economic policies influence the development of cities and urban spaces? What role does labour and land play in economic growth and inequality in cities?
- The political city: How do cities reflect and influence the power dynamics and governance arrangements? In what ways do local political decisions shape the urban landscape and social relations?
- The social city: How do cities serve as spaces of social interaction, community building and identity formation?
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 21 | 1:00 | 21:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 167:00 | 167:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 2 | 3:00 | 6:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GEO2149 | Urban Geography (Semester 1 for Exchange Students) |
| GEO2150 | Urban Geography (Semester 2 for Exchange Students) |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
These teaching methods support student learning through a combination of lectures, workshops, practicals, drop-in/surgeries and guided independent study.
- Lectures provide students with an opportunity to engage with the lecturer on their areas of expertise and delve deeper into urban geography concepts and empirics
- Workshops provide students with opportunities to learn about, and practice their reading, critical thinking, visual and/or writing skills in preparation for the assessment
- Practicals provide students with opportunities to engage with the urban environment
- Drop-in surgeries provide students with support for their assessments
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 7 | 1 | M | 50 | N/A |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case study | 1 | M | 50 | A map and a 1500 word written analysis |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
This module provides students with two opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of urban geography: the first assessment asks students to develop a presentation (worth 50% of the total mark) and the second assessment asks students to produce an case study (worth 50% of the total mark). The prsentation is a 7 minute recorded group presentation. The case study asks students to design a map and produce a 1500 word analysis. These assessments provide students with opportunities to improve their reading skills, presentation skills, visual skills, writing skills, critical thinking skills and independent learning skills.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GEO2148's Timetable