Geography

This course discusses how typical spatial planning debates relate to wider societal challenges (i.e. planning as the “mirror of society”), but also to critically assess how spatial planning practices can therefore crystalize in very different ways from one planning context to the next. All of this is embedded in a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts of urban and regional planning. Typical planning issues such as coordination between different spatial scales, sectoral and integrated planning approaches, dealing with scarcity, and flexibility vs. legal certainty are covered. Students are instructed through the pragmatic analytical concept of the planning triangle (object, process, context). This analytical framework helps to systematically relate the fundamental concepts of spatial planning to, on the one hand, the planning theoretical underpinnings and historical development of academic planning thought, and, on the other hand, to current planning dilemmas and practices in various planning systems (dominantly of the Netherlands, but also of other cases worldwide). Throughout the course, links are made to relevant planning methods and the role of the planner as ‘mediator’ in spatial planning processes. The course is structured around a series of lectures on basic concepts of spatial planning and putting these within the wider frame of current planning issues, theoretical debates and actual spatial planning practices and systems in the Netherlands and beyond. The lectures are supported by an academic handbook on spatial planning, that is in line with the pace and topics that are covered in the lectures. Students are encouraged to find supplementary academic and professional literature as theoretical underpinnings and empirical illustrations of their written products. The lectures and book are assessed by means of an individual written examination on the content of the course. Students work in groups on a jointly written group assignment. 

What will the city of the future look like? To what extent are our models of city-making sustainable? Is the road that we are taking leading us towards an environmental utopia in which societies will grow in balance with nature, or are we paving the way for the collapse of our civilization? These are the key questions that will drive students' exploration of the different ways through which, today, sustainable urban development is understood and practiced across the world. Students use the tools of geography to examine the most critical socio-environmental issues faced by cities (climate change, consumption, happiness, environmental degradation, etc.), and discuss both the theory and practice of urban sustainability.
 

This course examines finance and climate justice, and the links between them. As the worsening climate chaos threatens the very existence of humanity, it is increasingly clear that a climate justice approach is needed for both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Climate justice approaches emphasize the need for a fundamental transformation of society and the economy, while applying the principles of social justice and economic equity. However, there is a growing realization that such a socio-economic transformation is not possible without radical changes in the sphere of finance. Going beyond the proposition that finance needs to be mobilized to fund "green" transition, this course examines the view that the entire global financial architecture must be transformed to safeguard a better, healthier, more stable, and a more just future for all. Special attention is given to central banks and their role in the financialized economic system, their relation to climate change and their role in hampering and/or promoting climate justice. Alternative economic and financial models, including de-growth and post-growth approaches, are examined. The course also highlights a critical role of geography in understanding both the climate justice issues and the operation of finance in capitalist economies.

This course helps students refine their ability to understand and interpret research from across the discipline of geography and develop their capstone project. It assists students in developing evidence-based opinions about research and assists them in identifying how they can help to push forward research frontiers through their own research activities. Following introductory lectures on the research process the course involves reading research papers and identifying questions about them; participating in seminars given by geography researchers presenting a research project they have been involved with that relates to the papers they read; discussions about opportunities and challenges when conducting geographical research; and reflections on what they have learnt about the research process through the course. Students also practice their own writing skills.

The course focuses on the natural world and our relationship with it. It offers an in-depth exploration of topics in environmental geography, focusing on the biological, chemical, and physical processes that sustain life on Earth, human impacts on these processes, and strategies for mitigating environmental damage. Students engage with concepts of sustainability, conservation, and environmental policy. Topics include biodiversity loss, water, air and soil pollution, climate change, land modifications, environmental technologies, environmental policies and management decisions. By fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the course prepares students to contribute positively to environmental conservation, policy development, and sustainable management practices in various sectors.

This course introduces some key themes, concepts, and debates in urban geography. In particular it focuses on the concept of urban regeneration. Taking a critical view of urban regeneration, the course first considers the emergence of these tropes out of concerns about de-industrialization and dereliction brought about by the restructuring of the global economy following the 1970s recession. It then focusses specifically on the urban impacts of globalization, in particular how cities in the developed world have managed the shift from industrialism to post-industrialism. Next, the course examines regeneration from a number of perspectives. Finally, the course reflects on the extent to which urban regeneration remains a relevant approach in the post-crisis period characterized by austerity urbanism and growing precarity. Particular attention is given to the circular nature of processes of urban growth and decline and how regeneration efforts include and exclude particular social groups and identities.

A knowledge of the past and the long reach of historical processes is vital to an understanding of the modern world in terms of both physical landscapes and the evolution of economic, social and cultural landscapes. Past imperial and colonial practices and their legacies are key to understanding contemporary global inequalities (e.g. uneven economic development, resource access, population structures) and the societal challenges facing developing countries. Historical geography focuses on the dynamic relationship between space and time offering a geographical analysis of the past and an historical analysis of geographic patterns. This course charts the evolution of human society across the globe examining the emergence of regions and places with distinctive identities and characteristics in an increasingly globalizing world. In doing so it introduces key concepts in historical geography that illuminate processes of continuity and change, linkages, and ruptures and the intersections between power and society.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.