Urban Studies

This course offers an introduction to the field of urban morphological analysis, and a range of mapping techniques relevant to urban design. This also entails analysis of the forces that produce urban morphology and the forms of spatial practice that are integral to it. The focus of the course is on examining how various techniques of urban mapping can creatively contribute to different urban design and planning concepts, approaches, and outcomes. The course uses the Elizabeth Street corridor (from Flinders Street Station to the Victoria Market) in central Melbourne as a laboratory for exploring these themes. This is an urban transect that slices through a range of morphological conditions, densities, spatial practices, experiences and transformational prospects. Each student visits this site on a weekly basis throughout the semester, mapping different layers of data. It is understood that not all students will commence this class with the necessary mapping skills; however, it is expected that students will be familiar with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, or can become so within the first two weeks. Additional tutoring is provided for those who need it so that all students are able to produce basic morphological maps for presentation in digital format. Students are not assessed on graphic or IT skills during this initial phase, but the acquisition and deployment of these skills will be required for the rest of the semester.

This course examines the theories, concepts and applications of urban green equity and urban environmental justice, with particular focus on implications for urban forest policy, planning, management, and design.

This course examines how the history of political ideology and social conflict in France since the Middle Ages has been embodied in the urban landscape of Paris. More than in any other city, the meaning, message, and significance to state and nation of most Parisian sites was – and continues to be – violently contested. The course looks at the histories of the conception, construction, and public perception of Parisian monuments and places their stories within the larger context of the development of the French state and of French national identity. Major events of French history form the chronological backbone for this course, with emphasis placed on the forces that literally shaped some of the city's most emblematic neighborhoods and monuments. The readings are selected from works by specialists in French political, urban, and social history; and the course includes weekly visits to sites in Paris, as the student learns to “read” architecture and to use the city as a rich primary source for historical analysis. Be advised: while no prior knowledge of French history is required, a high level of commitment to learning about France is required. All of the writing for this class demands careful consideration of both readings for class and information given during site visits. This is a class that engages in the complex history of Paris and France. Students are evaluated on the richness and clarity of their engagement with that history.

This course introduces students to the intersection of urban geography and the geography of globalization, with the aim of understanding key references in academic debates, and their relevance for real-world social, economic, and political issues in our cities today. The course offers a critical, human-geographical perspective on "global cities," how these manifest in different parts of the world, how they matter for distinct realms of urban life, and how we can study features of global urban geography. Themes include empires, development, and cities; global cities; "Third World cities" or "cities of the global South"; urban spaces of neoliberalism; new geographies of urban theory; and planetary urbanization. Students examine cases related to migration, sexual minorities, the circulation of ideas, and gentrification. Examples come from both the "global North" and the "global South," with the aim of helping students understand when and how these categories may be useful.

This is an laurea magistrale course and is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course introduces students to the emerging field of urban studies in connection to climate change issues. The principle topics covered include the relationship between two global driving forces: urbanization and climate change; different theoretical and methodological tools used to understand, manage, and deal with the transformation of cities facing climate; and different approaches that promote more sustainable and resilient forms of urbanization and urban life. Climate change and unprecedented planetary urbanization remain two of the most urgent issues of our time, reshaping societies. Climate change has worldwide implications - from the exacerbation of urban inequalities, to the loss of environmental, social and economic security. In this regard, sustainable urbanization has moved more and more to the forefront of policy agendas and research. The course uses several theoretical approaches and empirical studies, and focuses on the forms and impact of urbanization processes; how climate change impacts different social groups in our urban systems; and post-carbon cities: adaptation and mitigation strategies being currently implemented.

What can individual citizens contribute to making cities greener and more ecological? Will a concept of a climate‐friendly and healthy city grow over this ‐ in the truest sense of the word? And how specifically can urban and private areas be gardened? What are private and municipal strategies for dealing with urban gardens and their implementation? What are the costs to cities of private urban gardening? Which horticultural and which structural engineering aspects have to be considered? Which psychological and healthy effects does a green city have on its inhabitants? What kind of biodiversity exists in green cities? These questions form the thematic framework of this course. The questions are dealt with and answered within an interdisciplinary framework.

The course enables students to develop an understanding of contemporary dimensions of citizenship as a way of thinking through how these shape and are shaped by cities.  This understanding includes an awareness of the different kinds of primary, secondary, and gray sources available for the study of cities and citizenship. The course uses case studies from the global North and South to explore the political, economic, social, and cultural processes that shape cities and citizenship as connected sites of people's sense of identity and belonging.