Urban Studies

This course introduces the components and structure of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and discusses how national guidelines and requirements for EIAs influence the outcome. Current EIAs include an evaluation of environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts of development projects, hence the course is interdisciplinary by nature and is relevant for a range of academic disciplines. The course provides a comprehensive overview and thorough knowledge of EIA procedures and methodologies, introduces basic concepts and generic methodologies, and focuses on EIA within the fields of agriculture and forestry, natural resource management, infrastructure and water resource management projects. The problems and pitfalls of EIA are also discussed. The course mainly focuses on EIA in developing countries, but examples from Denmark and other countries are also used.

This course aims to engage students in understanding and analyzing complex housing issues and to prepare them in identifying and formulating integrated policy options for the recognized problems. Students will explore issues and policy realms related to different forms and categories of housing provided by the public and private sectors in specific socio-economic contexts. They will be encouraged to explore sustainable policy options and design to meet the housing needs of different socio-economic groups.

This course examines the role of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies in the environmental decision-making process and as a means for better environmental management. The major components, processes and attributes to EIA systems will be discussed. It will also introduce different methodologies in planning and managing of an EIA study. Applications of EIA system in the local context will be discussed in detail and illustrated by real-life examples mainly from Hong Kong. 

This course, which is taught on site in historic buildings, introduces students to the history of London and its buildings from the late 17th century to the present day. This is an extremely dynamic period in London's history: nearly the entire city was destroyed and rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666, the city then saw huge increases in its population in the 18th century, and massive technological and social change in the 19th. The 20th century brought yet more destruction and rebuilding after the Blitz, alongside political and economic upheaval, all of which led to radical changes in the appearance of London's buildings. This century has seen huge new investment in the City, and the rise of gentrification in the suburbs. Throughout the course, students tell this story by visiting and considering many different types of buildings, from churches, hospitals, and palaces, to railway stations, and housing estates. Students explore questions of architectural style, the implications of social and cultural change for architecture, and urban and architectural history and theory more generally. 

This course highlights the key food security considerations and research trends relating to sustainable urban food production. It covers the scientific and technological innovations in agriculture and aquaculture, with topics including genetics, nutrition and health involved in the production of fish and plants, and scientific considerations for a robust food safety system such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based risk assessment and testing of different food safety hazards relating to different food innovations. The course develops an appreciation of the emerging risks in urban food production against the current backdrop of accelerating food production innovations and climate change. The course requires students to take prerequisites in General Biology and Chemistry.

This course examines the effects of urbanization and global environmental change on the geographies of cities across the world, with specific focus on urban environmental justice and inequality.

This course examines various big data sources covering different urban aspects and the extensive information carried by big data. It looks at various urban dynamics, including but not limited to the everyday issues of housing, mobility, consumer markets, social
interactions, and environmental sustainability. 

Students are introduced to the expanding field of professionals leading urban climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. With a significant portion of the world's population living in urban areas and accounting for approximately 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, urban residents are highly vulnerable to climate change but also offer important solutions for a more equitable carbon transition. In this course, students explore how cities are addressing this critical challenge. Students engage with professionals working on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies in cities across multiple continents and learn about the primary thematic areas where cities focus their efforts.

This course focuses on sociological concepts and methods to link theory with evidence and asks how sociological concepts can be applied to the world around us. It develops the key skills of academic writing: how to write an effective academic research paper and how to read academic papers to link theory with evidence. A key learning objective is close reading of texts, understanding the key argument of each text, and applying concepts to the real world. This course has a theme of the "city" to focus on producing original research work on a focused domain. It uses key sociological readings, case studies, and in-the-news topics to study society as a complex space where buildings, people, animals, laws, policies, and international financial flows, intersect to produce our lived experience. The course examines sociological concepts through walks around in the city. It explores foundational texts and addresses specific questions related to inequality, power, conspiracy theories, global finance, environmental crisis, social policy, violence, segregation, and so on.

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.