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2021/2022

Cities, Globalisation and Sustainability

Code: 104262 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503710 Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning OT 4 1
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3 2
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 0
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 1
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Francesc Muñoz Ramírez
Email:
Franc.Munoz@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

Previous requirements are not considered.

Objectives and Contextualisation

Main goals are referred to three issues when discussing the urban impacts of the globalization process and the challenges that sustainable cities would have to face in the near future during the 21st century:

- Description, explanation and análisis of the globalization process proposing different specific historical moments to illustrate its own evolution and progress, with special attention to the present day context.

- General explanation on how economic-political-environmental-social-cultural globalization trends are directly related with the main dynamics of change and transformation characterising cities at the present moment.

- Introduction to the most relevant challenges at the present moment in regard with the achivement of sustainable cities and urban-metropolitan spaces, paying special attention to some global impacts affecting local urban structures.

Competences

    Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning
  • Analyse and understand geographical dynamics (sociodemographics, geo-economics and environmental) on different territorial scales.
  • Critically analyse the relationship between society and the region applying the conceptual and theoretical framework of geography.
  • Demonstrate skills of self-analysis and self-criticism
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Systematically analyse and interpret environmental, demographic, urban and landscape elements.
  • Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Recognise institutional and regulatory design and the main economic policies implemented in current economies on different scales to manage economic growth and its cyclical oscillations.
  • Relate fundamental questions of the current economic situation with previous economic developments on the basis of the main elements of contemporary economic history.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse and interpret the diversity of social and cultural phenomena in the world.
  2. Consider problems of inequality, population distribution and urbanisation in the world, among other things.
  3. Demonstrate skills of self-analysis and self-criticism.
  4. Explain the common and distinctive elements of cities in different regional areas of the world.
  5. Explaining the structure of today's world from a geographical point of view.
  6. Integrate the analysis of cities in the scales of population agglomerations.
  7. Interpret the distribution of people and activity in the region and the flows they generate.
  8. Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
  9. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  10. Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.
  11. Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Content

SECTION I. Perspectives on the globalization process.

  • Topic 1. Key definitions in regard with the globalization process.
  • Topic 2. Key definitions in regard with the city concept.
  • Topic 3. Key definitions in regard with the sustainability concept.
  • Topic 4. Globalization and the city: historical overview and evolution (20th and 21st centuries).

SECTION II. Urban globalization: main impacts and consequences for cities.

  • Topic 5. Economic and environmental globaliztion: global processus and local impacts in cities.
  • Topic 6. Technological, social and cultural globalization: global processus and local impacts in cities.
  • Topic 7. Thre key examples in regard with the urban globalization process: Capital and people flows; Global tourism and the global entertainment industry; Global urban tertiarization and global real state markets feeding urban gentrification.

SECTION III. Reconciling globalization processus with urban sustainability. Is the global sustainable city possible?

  • Topic 8. The globalization processus and the goal of sustainability in the context of late capitalism.
  • Topic 9. The three dimensions of the new urban sustainability; towards an environmental, social and cultural sustainability.
  • Topic 10. The globalization of cities in the context of the ecological transition: the global ‘post-oil’ city.

Methodology

- Theroretical classes exposed by the professor.

- Presentation and discussion of different audiovisual materials.

- Readings.

- Group discussion on the course main issues.

- Exercises.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Presentation of audio-visual materials 25 1 4, 6, 2
Theoretical lessons 21 0.84 1, 4, 5, 6, 2
Type: Supervised      
Preparation of exercises, discussions and presentations 22 0.88 1, 3, 10
Type: Autonomous      
Elaborating applied exercises 20 0.8 3, 9, 10
Preparation of the exam 30 1.2 3, 9, 10
Readings 30 1.2 3, 9

Assessment

Assessment and evaluation

Information about the assignments and the written exam:

Assignment 1. Handing an essay on one of the books from the course bibliography or handing a comparative essay in regard with the analysis of different study cases of urban globalization.

Assignment 2. Exercises dossier (different exercices proposed by the professor during the course will be presented configuring one single document).

Exam. Written exam in regard of the course material (basic and complementary bibliography, thematic files provided by the instructor on a weekly basis and digital resources provided during the course).

 

Important notes:

- Handing assignments 1 and 2 is required before the exam.

- Assistance to a minimum amount of 75% of the tuition sessions will be considered as a very positive asset in regard with the final evaluation.

- The written essay (exam) has a very remarkable importance since is devoted to evaluate the performance of the student in regard with the thematic files and the digital resources provided by the instructor and it directly evaluates the knowledge effectively acquired by the student when considering the contents of the course. This is to say, it will be very important achieving a minimum qualification ('pass') in regard with the exam.

 

Evaluation criteria

 

- Rigor and clarity in regard with the exposition of statements in regard with the concepts and materials considered for the evalaution of the materia.

 

- Capability for proposing examples directly related with the bibliography of the course and other additional materials proposed by the professor.

 

- Initiative in regard with completing the materials provided by the professor taking advantage of the ownindividualresearch. 

 

 

Re-evaluation

 

-The re-evaluation of the materia considers the improvement of the evaluation test also based on the use of the bibliography of the course and the rest of compulsory materials provided by the professor.

-Having presented the assignments 1 and 2 is required for re-evaluation.

- The qualification 'No avaluable' is only possible in the case of not having presented any assignment or the exam. In the case of presenting some of the assignments or the exam represents not having the right to apply for the 'No avaluable' qualification. Només es podrà tenir una qualificació de "no avaluable".

 La copia o plagi de material, tant en el cas de treballs com en el cas dels exàmens, constitueixen un delicte que serà sancionat amb un zero a l'activitat. En cas de reincidència es suspendrà tota l'assignatura. Recordem que es considera "còpia" un treball que reprodueix tot o gran part del treball d'un/a altre/a company/a. "Plagi" és el fet de presentar tot o part d'un text d'un autor com a propi, sense citar les fonts, siguin en papero en format digital. Vegeu documentació de la UAB sobre "plagi" a: http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Elaboration of an essay on readings or a brief research on urban globalization study cases 30% 0 0 1, 3, 9, 11, 10
Preparing a written essay (exam) 35% 2 0.08 4, 5, 6, 10
Preparing an exercise portfolio 35% 0 0 3, 4, 7, 2, 8, 9, 11, 10

Bibliography

Bibliography

George, Rose (2014) 90% de todo. La industria invisible que te viste, te llena el depósito de gasolina y pone comida en tu plato. Capitan Swing Ed.

Graham, Stephen (2003) The Cybercities Reader. Routledge.

Honey, Marta; Frenkiel, Kelsey (2021) Overtourism: lessons for a better future.Island Press.

Muñoz, Francesc (2008) Urbanalización: paisajes comunes, lugares globales. Gustau Gili, Barcelona.

Nel·lo, Oriol; Mele, Renata (eds. 2016) Cities in the 21st Century. Routledge: London.

Sassen, Saskia (2007) Los espectros de la globalización. Fondo de Cultura Económica. Buenos Aires.

Sassen, Saskia (2011) Ciudad y globalización.Textos urbanos. Vol. VII. El Quinde. Quito.

Sequera Fernández, Jorge (2020) Gentrificación: capitalismo ‘cool’, turismo y control del espacio urbano. Catarata.

Sassen, Saskia (2015) Expulsiones. Brutalidad y complejidad en la economía global. Katz Editores, Buenos Aires.

Stiglitz, Joseph (2002) El malestar de la globalización. Taurus.

Vollmer, Lisa (2019) Estrategias contra la gentrificación. Por una ciudad desde abajo. Katakrac.

World Cities Report (2016). Urbanization and Development. Emerging Futures. UNHABITAT.

World Cities Report (2020). The Value of Sustainable Urbanization. UNHABITAT.

Software

No requirements needed in regard with software. The only requirements referred to the use of texts editors and design of digital presentations (ppt files or similar).