Cities, Globalisation and Sustainability
Code: 107583 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2503710 Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Marc Pares Franzi
- Email:
- marc.pares@uab.cat
Teachers
- Francisco Manuel Muņoz Ramirez
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Ability to read complex texts in English.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject aims to study the processes of change and transformation of a global nature that have urban impacts in cities all over the planet. More specifically, the challenges that these transformations represent with regard to the sustainable future of 21st century cities will be analyzed and the study of the contemporary city as a neuralgic center of political, economic, social and environmental dynamics will be deepened and cultural aspects of today's society.
The specific objectives of the subject are the following:
- Describe, explain and analyze the globalization process based on the study of different specific historical moments, with special attention to the current context.
- Explain the relationship between globalization processes of all types - economic; politics; environmental; social and cultural - and the analysis of the dynamics of urban transformation that characterize cities at the present time.
- Introduce the perspective of cities as a space of flows (of capital, people, cultures, resources, etc.) and the paradigm of political ecology as an analytical approach to understand the urban transformations of the current moment.
- Analyze the most relevant challenges to achieve sustainable cities and urban-metropolitan spaces, with special attention to climate change and the main environmental impacts in the different urban realities.
- To exemplify, through the explanation of specific cases, the global processes of urban transformation around the planet, as well as the problems and socio-environmental challenges that these pose in various geographical contexts of the world (both in Europe and North America and in other continents).
Learning Outcomes
- CM19 (Competence) Propose solutions in a case study related to problems of inequality, population distribution and urbanisation.
- KM25 (Knowledge) Illustrate the common and distinctive elements of cities in different regional areas of the world.
- KM27 (Knowledge) Cite the relevant sources of information to study territorial, environmental and urban dynamics in a specific study.
- SM21 (Skill) Solve practical exercises by exploiting data on urban issues of a social, scientific or ethical nature.
- SM22 (Skill) Analyse geographical dynamics (socio-demographic, geo-economic and environmental) at different territorial scales.
Content
SECTION I. Globalization processes in perspective
• Key definitions around the phenomenon of 'globalization'
• Globalization and the city: historical perspective and evolution of global processes (20th and 21st centuries)
• The different dimensions of globalization: economic, environmental, technological, social and cultural
• Global processes and local impacts in cities
SECTION II. The flows of the global city
• Capital flows: urban tertiaryisation, global real estate markets and gentrification
• Flows of people and cultures: migration, multiculturalism and tourism
• Flows of natural resources: water and energy
• Flows of food and goods
SECTION III. City and sustainability
• Urban Ecology and Urban Political Ecology
• Climate emergency and the post-oil global city
• City and sovereignty
• Urban social innovation for sustainability
SECTION IV. The cities of the world today
• Cities in Europe and North America.
• Cities in Latin America
• Cities in Asia
• Cities in Africa
This subject is taught in Catalan. The teaching staff of some of the classroom practices (PAUL) may also use Spanish.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Practical sessions (PAUL) | 16.5 | 0.66 | CM19, SM21, SM22 |
| Theoretical lessons (TE) | 32 | 1.28 | CM19, KM25, KM27, SM22 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Practical exercices | 20 | 0.8 | SM21 |
| Preparation of activities | 5 | 0.2 | CM19, KM27 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Information search | 18 | 0.72 | CM19, KM25, KM27, SM21, SM22 |
| Personal study | 35 | 1.4 | CM19, KM25, KM27, SM21, SM22 |
| Reading and watching audiovisuals | 20 | 0.8 | CM19, KM25, SM22 |
| Self-learning tests | 2 | 0.08 | KM25, KM27, SM22 |
The teaching activities of the subject will be structured as follows:
Directed activities
Theory classes (TE)
The following activities will be carried out in the face-to-face theory sessions:
Lectures: presentations by the teaching staff encouraging debate and student participation.
Exercises aimed at the classroom: exercises based on the active participation of the students (usually through informal cooperative work) that will not require previous work.
Cooperative work with preparation. Different formal cooperative work activities will be carried out based on the previous work of the students (readings, viewing of audiovisuals or preparation of the activity). Some of these activities may require oral presentations by the students.
Classroom practice (PAUL)
A total of 5 practices will be carried out in the classroom. Each of the practices will consist of two sessions. Some of these practices will require the search for data and its treatment through statistical software and/or the production of maps.
The teaching staff responsible for the practicals in the classroom will conveniently inform about the activity to be carried out in each of the practicals. As a result of these activities, students will have to complete different exercises.
Supervised activities
The students will carry out in a supervised manner the activities of the theory sessions (TE) that require prior preparation (readings, viewing of audiovisuals or preparation of the activity), as well as the realization of the practical exercises derived from classroom practices (PAUL).
Students are expected to attend class and ask questions by actively participating in both theory and practical sessions. However, you can consult with the teaching staff using the virtual campus, the e-mail of the teaching team or using the established face-to-face tutoring schedule (both individually and in groups).
Autonomous activities
It will take an individual effort to settle the theoretical classes and the knowledge of the practical part. Students are expected to work on all this knowledge through continuous personal study throughout the course, completing the required readings, consulting the recommended bibliography, watching audio-visuals, searching of information for carrying out the practices, etc.
On the other hand, in each of the blocks of the syllabus, a self-learning test will be posted on the Virtual Campus that will provide feedback to the students.
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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 40% | 1.5 | 0.06 | KM25, KM27, SM22 |
| Participation in thery sessions (TE) | 15% | 0 | 0 | CM19, KM25, KM27, SM21, SM22 |
| Practical exercices | 35% | 0 | 0 | CM19, KM27, SM21 |
| Self-learning tests | 10% | 0 | 0 | KM25, KM27, SM22 |
The evaluation of the subject is based on:
- Final exam: 40%
- Practical exercises (PAUL): 35%
- Participation in theory sessions (TE): 15%
- Self-learning tests: 10%
The final mark will come from the weighted average of the four activities. To pass the subject you must have passed (5) both the final exam and the average of the exercises in the classroom practices.
Final exam
At the end of the course, students will have to take an individual exam to evaluate the knowledge gained in the subject as a whole. All the contents of the subject (theory, practices, activities, readings, audio-visuals, etc.) can be evaluated in the final exam.
Practical exercises (PAUL)
A total of 5 practical group exercises will be carried out as a result of the classroom practices (PAUL). Each of these exercises will count for 20% of this part of the grade.
It is necessary to respect the delivery dates of the jobs established by the teaching staff. The late delivery of classroom practice exercises (PAUL) will be penalized with a 20% reduction in the grade.
Participation in theory sessions
The grade corresponding to the participation in the theory sessions (TE) will be obtained through different deliveries (individual or group) corresponding to the various activities that the teaching staff may propose during the development of these sessions (debates, summaries, cooperative work, oral presentations...) Some of these activities may require prior preparation. Participation in these activities is not mandatory; however, in those activities that are not attended, the grade will be zero (0), with no possibility of making the delivery at any other time.
Self-learning tests
Finally, in each of the blocks of the syllabus, a self-learning test will be posted on the Virtual Campus witha deadline to answer it. The test will provide feedback to the student. In this sense, the fact of doing it will be taken into account (not the score obtained in it). Completion of each of the 4 tests will count for 25% of this part of the grade.
Review of grades
At the time of carrying out each assessment activity, the teaching staff will inform the students (through the Virtual Campus) of the procedure and date of review of the qualifications.
Recovery
The exam and the practical exercises in the classroom (PAUL) can be recovered, as long as a grade of less than 5 has been obtained. The assignments of the activities of the theory sessions (TE) and the self-learning tests they are not recoverable. The maximum mark for the recovered activities is 5.
Not assessable
Those who have not taken and passed the exam and/or who have not passed at least 2 of the 5 classroom practices (PAUL) are considered "non-evaluable".
Undelivered activities will be graded as zero (0).
Plagiarism
In the event that the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instituted. In the event that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
Unique assessment
The single evaluation procedure will consist of:
- Final exam: 40%
- Classroom practices (delivery of the 5 practices on the day of the assessment): 35%
- Essay (the teaching staff will conveniently inform about the topic and the characteristics ofthe essay that will have to be handed in on the day of the assessment): 30%
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, London.
Heynen, Nick; Kaika, Maria; Swyngedouw, Erik (2006). In the Nature of Cities. Urban Political Ecology and the polítics of urban metabolism. Routledge, London.
Honey, Marta; Frenkiel, Kelsey (2021). Overtourism: lessons for a better future. Island Press.
Kaika, Maria (2005). City of flows. Modernity, Nature and the City. Routldge, London.
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.
Parés, Marc; Ospina, Sonia; Subirtas, Joan (2017). Social Innovation and Democratic Leadership. Communities and social change from below. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham.
Robbins, Paul (2007). Lawn people: how grasses, weeds and chemicals make us who we are. Temple University Press, Philadelphia.
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.
Sassen, Saskia (2015) Expulsiones. Brutalidad y complejidad en la economía global. Katz Editores, Buenos Aires.
Sequera Fernández, Jorge (2020) Gentrificación: capitalismo ‘cool’, turismo y control del espacio urbano. Catarata.
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
Office package
Basic statistics software.
GIS software available at the UAB.
Language list
Information on the teaching languages can be checked on the CONTENTS section of the guide.