Urban Studies

This course introduces students to selected ways in which human geographers seek to understand cities. It explores the relationship between people and place. Primarily engaging with London, students consider how the city has been shaped over time by its people and how, in turn the city experience has shaped and continues to shape the lives of those who live there. Students consider how the city is described, imagined, and planned through official discourses, and how people create a sense of place, of self, and of others in the city. In the fall semester, students explore the relationship between planning, architecture, design, and people’s identities. In the spring semester, students explore the relationship between infrastructure and people. Throughout students consider how human geographers engage with the lived experience of the city through the lens of, for example, ethnicity, class, and sexual identity.

The course focuses on various land use and system dynamic topics to guide class discussions in the weekly seminar meetings. Lectures are watched outside of scheduled meeting times to maximize time for discussion and expansion of ideas in class. The topic focuses include the following: global urbanization dynamics, global land use and change, urbanization, global land take of urbanization, urban expansion, urbanization in regards to climate change, urban climate change economics (including subtopics of buildings emissions and urban heat), as well as urban transport. 

The city and language course introduces students to French history, culture, and language through team-taught instruction. In the “City as Public Forum” sessions, students are introduced to French history and culture through a series of lectures and site visits. Students discover some of the fascinating ways the core principles of social justice were tested in theory and practice on the streets of Paris in the past and explore how they evolved into the pillars of French society today. The course focuses on just how an ideal society should be forged, where all are free individuals and members of a cohesive community at the same time. Trying to make individuals believe—as religions do—in the primacy of the collective, and in its concomitant goal of protecting human rights, is at the core of social justice in France. From 52 B.C.E to today, France has been an exemplar of how—and how not—to construct a just society. To render these values visible, and therefore legible, to all by adding a physical dimension—whether constructive or destructive—to the usual means of establishing laws or setting policies, is what distinguishes the history of France's capital city of Paris. Those who control Paris—be they monarchs, revolutionaries, or presidents, past and present—believe that erecting all kinds of physical structures will render their values concrete and immutable. The ideal French society did not always necessarily mean a democratic or inclusive one. Since the French Revolution, however, institutionalizing the concept of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” has been France's greatest universal achievement and a source of constant upheaval, eliciting a unique form of secular activism that has led to targeting buildings and monuments that no longer reflect the collective's values. Students discuss how the diverse social actors, who constitute “the French,” continue to thrust their bodies and minds into the physical spaces of the public sphere in the pursuit of social justice. In the “Unlocking French” sessions, students learn targeted language skills through situational communication, so they have the opportunity to use everything they learn as they go about their daily activities.

This course covers the strategic aspects of facilities management: strategy formulation, planning, studying options, delivery and review. Emphasis is on the strategy and business of the organization and how this translates into the outcomes for the physical workplace. Topics include strategic facilities management framework; the need for coordination between workflow and space; facilities management system and tools; the procedures; automation; integrated FM systems; and strategic FM case studies.

In this course, students gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of contemporary change in the UK. Key themes to be addressed in seminar discussion include neo-liberalism, the North-South divide, culture-led urban regeneration, urban heritage and identity, migration, and urban health. 

This course offers a study of urban planning and land use planning. It discusses instruments of intervention in land use policy and land management, as well as the main lines of land use planning and urban development in Catalonia and Spain.
 

Creative economy and cultural industries have been considered crucial strategies for driving the urban development of global cities. The dynamic landscape of the global cultural scene, where culture converges with the economy, community, heritage, and innovative technologies, has created an impetus for many cities to adopt innovative approaches in utilizing urban spaces and cultural resources, enabling citizens to vividly reimagine their urban and cultural life. These approaches are envisioned as and manifested in the form of the development of large-scale urban regions and city clusters, where major cultural facilities such as museums, art districts, performance venues, and festivals significantly contribute to social well-being and intercultural dialogue. This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore the interface among culture, urban space, and the economy with an eye towards the radically changing cultural landscape of Hong Kong. By offering students both theoretical knowledge and first- hand field experience, this course examines museums, galleries, and various cultural institutions as exemplary cases of how different forms of cultural activities can be turned into powerhouses of creative synergies and economic growth.

This course discusses the various creative fields in which Barcelona has been a pioneer. Topics include: urban design, art, culture, design and fashion, theater, dance, music.