Prof Claire Mercer

This course is available on the MSc in Human Geography and Urban Studies (Research) and MSc in Urbanisation and Development. This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes.

This course looks at the interface between research, policy and practice in relation to key issues in urban development. It provides students with the opportunity to learn from both academics and experienced professionals about how research can inform contemporary policy issues, questions and approaches in the fields of urban policy and global environment and development. The course will be taught by LSE faculty and a series of invited external guests.

10 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
10 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

Teaching will be delivered in seminars led by faculty and guest lecturers.

Draft/plan based on up to two weeks of course material presented in portfolio format (max 1000 words). Feedback will be given on this draft and students can use the draft to develop the summative portfolio.

Gautam Bhan, Michael Keith, Susan Parnell and Edgar Pieterse (2024) Cities Rethought: a New Urban Disposition, Polity Press

Gautam Bhan, Smita Srinivas and Vanessa Watson (Eds) (2017) The Routledge Companion to Planning in the Global South, Routledge

Andrea Rigon and Vanesa Castán Broto (Eds) (2021) Inclusive Urban Development in the Global South, Routledge

Debolina Kundu, David Everatt, Keith Kintrea and Ya Ping Wang (Eds) (2026) Urban Policy for Sustainable Development in the Global South, Springer Nature

Jess Hope, Elia Apostolopoulou and Ariadne Collins (Eds) (2025) The New Routledge Handbook of Political Ecology, Routledge 

Critical evaluation (100%, 3000 words).

Assessment is designed to allow students to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to the intersection of academic research and applied thinking about urban and development challenges.

The assessment will be based on a portfolio that will be developed throughout the course. At the end of each session, time will be set aside in the classroom for students to note and reflect on the content and discussion from the session. These reflections will be further developed for the formative and summative assessments. A final submitted participation portfolio (3,000 words) will build on these reflections. It will include: commentary on specific issues discussed during the course; reflection on that content in relation to course readings; and reflection on extracts from the weekly reflections.