TCP2028 : Understanding Cities
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Georgiana Varna
- Lecturer: Professor Simin Davoudi, Dr Gabriel Silvestre, Dr David Webb, Dr Andrew Law, Dr Loes Veldpaus, Professor Rose Gilroy
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
To build critical, social-scientific understanding of contemporary cities and processes of urban change.
• To give students an understanding of the key debates in contemporary urban theory.
• To link theoretical debates, processes of urban change, and urban policy and planning debates using specific case studies and examples.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module uses a range of teaching styles – lectures, videos and discussions – to present a cutting-edge and critical introduction to the understanding of contemporary cities. The course addresses a wide range of types of cities; ’global’ cities such as London; postindustrial cities such as Newcastle; and Global South mega-cities such as Mumbai. Using the latest insights from a wide range of social-scientific research on urban change to address this wide range of examples, the module will allow students to gain insights into contemporary urban theory. It will use these to build an understanding of how contemporary cities are changing and how these changes raise major challenges for urban planning and policy making.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 82:00 | 82:00 | Reading and research specifically focussed on assessment preparation and completion |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Synchronous scheduled in person lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 85:00 | 85:00 | Reading and learning as set out within the lectures and developed in the workshop discussions and |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | Synchronous workshops in class debating key issues discussed during the lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Surgery PiP |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Weekly lecture material, followed by viewing of a film with contextual reading linked to topic, followed by online discussion of material led by co-module leaders. Structured readings supplied each week. Online support for preparation of assessments.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 2 | A | 70 | Visual assignment - students can choose for a wide variety: film, poster, collage, picture book etc. |
| Design/Creative proj | 2 | M | 30 | a summary of their proposed end of course project |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The visual assignment prepares students to be able to illustrate their ideas in a high quality, professional manner which will greatly help them for their future career as planners/urban designers. The mid-term 20% assignment is meant to focus students early on their final submission so that they achieve high quality results at the end of the course.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP2028's Timetable