Dr Hyun Shin STC. S416 and Dr Murray Low STC. S512

This course is available on the BA in Geography, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environmental Policy with Economics and BSc in Geography with Economics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

This course covers theories and processes of urban politics and governance; urban problems and policy responses in developed and developing countries, within an institutional and political framework: Areas of study include: 

1. Urban government in the UK and USA. Theories of urban politics. Politics of urban fiscal problems and local economic development policy. Management of urban social issues. 

2. Urban policy and practice, e.g. speculative urbanisation, urban redevelopment, mega-event politics, gentrification, the right to the city. Case studies largely drawn from cities in mainland China and newly industrialised economies in East Asia

10 hours of lectures and 9 hours of classes in the MT. 10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the LT. 1 hour of lectures in the ST.

Students should produce two essays during the year.

D Judge et al, Theories of Urban Politics, 1995; J S Davies and D L Imbroscio, Theories of Urban Politics (second edition), 2009; S Fainstein, The City Builders, 2001; S Body-Gendrot, The Social Control of Cities?, 1999; N Devas & C Rakodi (Eds), Managing Fast Growing Cities, 1993; R P Appelbaum and J W Henderson, States and development in the Asia Pacific rim, 1992; G Andrusz et al, (Eds), Cities after socialism, 1996; J Friedmann, China’s urban transition, 2005; Park et al, Locating neoliberalism in East Asia, 2012; L Lees, HB Shin & E López-Morales (Eds), Global gentrifications: Uneven development and displacement, 2015

Exam (75%, duration: 3 hours) in the main exam period.
Essay (25%, 2500 words) in the LT.