Introduction to the Contemporary City
Code: 106928 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Smart and Sustainable Cities | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Francisco Manuel Muņoz Ramirez
- Email:
- franc.munoz@uab.cat
Teachers
- Esteve Dot Jutglā
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites for taking this course.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The course covers the general objectives of the subject of Urban Geography of the Degree in Management of Intelligent and Sustainable Cities. Its main objective is to provide, at an introductory level, the elements for understanding and analyzing the process of contemporary urbanization. In this way, the students will be offered the instruments to understand the city as a socio-spatial configuration resulting from the demographic, economic, environmental, cultural and political dynamics of contemporary societies.
The main topics covered will be the following:
- Introduction to the study of urban morphology and urban systems. Main trends in the process of contemporary urbanization: the expansion and integration of urban networks, the dispersion of urbanization and the dissemination of urban uses on the territory.
-The urban population. Processes of demographic transition to contemporary societies and their relationship with the urbanization process. Basic concepts related to the structure and components of population growth (relation of the natural movement and migrations to the urban phenomenon).
-The city as an ecosystem, pointing to its heterotrophic nature and its relation to the consumption of resources and energy.
-Urban Economy. Relationship between the urbanization process and the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Dynamics of industrialization and tertiarisation, fordist and port-fordist production and consumption systems.
-Urban Society. Forms of life and socialization, structure of social groups, relationships and distribution over the territory, land rent and urban segregation.
-The city as a space for collective reproduction: housing, services, transport mobility. The notion of the Right to the City.
-Urban Government. Political and administrative organization (local government, metropolitan administrations, sectoral administrations, relation with other levels of the administration), urban policies and territorial and urban planning.
Learning Outcomes
- CM07 (Competence) Identify and solve urban problems in teams.
- KM10 (Knowledge) Explain urban territorial and social processes using relevant theoretical and conceptual frameworks.
- KM13 (Knowledge) Distinguish the main statistical sources of data for the study of urban reality.
- SM11 (Skill) Use relevant sources of information for the study of urban movements and citizen practices.
Content
The syllabus of thwe course will be the following:
1. The city. Definition, morphology and limits.
2. Urban networks. The process of urbanization, metropolitanization and extensive urbanization.
3. Urban population. Definition of the urban and rural population. Causes and consequences of the urbanization process of the population.
4. Resources. The city as a heterotrophic and open ecosystem. Energy, resources and waste. Open spaces, green infraestructure and climate-proof urbanism.
5. Urban economy. Industry, commerce and services in the city.
6. Urban mobility. Territorial patterns, temporary recurrence, motivations and modes of transport.
7. Housing. Access, tenure and market.
8. Land market, urban rent and residential segregation.
9. Territorial planning. Basis and management.
10. Urban planning. Basis and management.
The course will open with an introductory session and will close with one of conclusions. In the introductory session the detailed agenda of the sessions will be provided.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Field work | 13 | 0.52 | |
| Guided practical lessons | 12 | 0.48 | |
| Guided theoretical lessons | 25 | 1 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual tutoring or tutoring in small groups | 10 | 0.4 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Completion of the practice dossier | 30 | 1.2 | |
| Preparation of written assignments | 15 | 0.6 | |
| Readings | 18 | 0.72 |
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE TEACHING METHODOLOGY INDICATED BELOW MAY EXPERIENCE ANY MODIFICATION DEPENDING ON RESTRICTIONS ON ATTENDANCE AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
THAT MAY BE ESTABLISHED BY HEALTH AUTHORITIES. The activities that could not be done onsite will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB's virtual tools. Exercises, projects and lectures will be carried out using virtual tools such as tutorials, videos, Teams sessions, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives
The expected duration of the course is 12-13 weeks and will be organized around three types of work sessions:
-12 theoretical sessions (TE) of 2 hours each. In each of these sessions, the teacher will provide a ppt presentation and will recommend several readings related to the topic covered. The participation of students through questions and debate will be encouraged. These sessions will be taught by Professor Oriol Nel·lo.
-12 practical sessions (PAUL) of 1 hour each. The teacher will propose a practical exercise related to the subject matter posed in the theoretical session developed during the week.
-3 field trips (PCAM) of 3-4 hours each. These field trips will be carried out, in principle, in various locations in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and will have the objective of direct knowledge of the management of services and common urban assets.
All three sessions will involve in their set 50 hours of face-to-face activities.
The virtual Campus will be used as a means of communication between teachers and students. On the campus, the student will find the complete agenda of the subject, the presentations of the theoretical sessions, the information about practices, teaching materials and other information.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation of teoretical contents | 40% | 4 | 0.16 | KM10 |
| Field work and participation in the debates | 20% | 11 | 0.44 | CM07 |
| Practices in the classroom and preparation of the dossier | 40% | 12 | 0.48 | CM07, KM13, SM11 |
IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that assessment activities cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB's virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc.
Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives. The evaluation of the course will consist of three elements:
a) Two partial examinations on the content of the theoretical lessons. These examinations will be done in the middle and at the end of the semester. They represent 40% of the final mark (20% + 20%).
b) A dossier of practices that will have to be delivered as they progress in the manner that will be in due time. The dossier will integrate the results of each one of the practices carried out by the students in the sessions of practices in the classroom and as autonomous work. The dossier represents 40% of the final grade.
c) Participation in field work and classroom discussions. It will represent 20% of the final mark.
To pass the subject, the student must:
a) Have passed the exams with a minimum score of 5.
b) Have submitted the dossier of practices and have obtained an average rating of these practices of not less than 5.
c) Have regularly participated in all the activities of the course (lessons TE, PAUL and PCAM). The attendance to the theoretical lessons, the practices and the field work is mandatory. In exceptional cases of absence, the justification must be given to the teaching staff.
Rating:
The final grade of the subject will be the weighted average of each of the evaluation evidences: exams (50%), practices (40%) and participation (10%). It will consist of a score between 0 and 10. To pass the course you must have obtained a total minimumscore of 5.
Re-evaluation:
a) Exams and practices will be revaluable in the manner and in the dates that will be indicated in due time.
b) In order to opt for the re-evaluation, it is necessary to have participated, in an active way, in the evaluation tests and delivered the materials of the practices.
c) In the re-evaluation the maximum grade that can be obtained for each of the re-evaluated tests will be 5.
Important information about the practical part of the course (exercises):
The practical part of the subject is organized in the form of a series of practical exercises that will be carried out in groups and taking advantage of class time in order to minimize work time outside of class hours. The operation of this part of the subject will be as follows:
- The practices are designed to be done during class hours. However, and considering possible force majeure problems, groups will have the entire school week to submit the practice. Once the next practice has begun, it will no longer be possible to submit the previous practice if it has not been submitted and will be evaluated as 'not submitted'. Therefore, it is not possible to submit practices outside the weekly deadline established for their preparation.
- In order to pass this practical part of the subject, all practices must be submitted without exception.
Use of Artificial Intelligence, AI:
In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its phases. Any work that includes fragments generated with AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total
penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.
Non-evaluated students:
In the event that any of the requirements indicated in b) are no fulfilled the corresponding grade will be
"non-evaluable". In the event that an activity is not carried out -exam, practice or field work-, the mark obtained for this activity will be 0, it will not be revaluable, and this is the grade inclouded in the weighted average.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Honours:
Honours will be awarded to those who obtain a mark greater than or equal to 9.5, up to 5% of those enrolled in descending order of the final grade. At the discretion of the teaching staff, they may also be granted in other cases.
This subject does not provide for a single assessment system.
Bibliography
The bibliography of each part of the course will be communicated in a timely manner.
Software
The software in the subject will be the Microsoft Office package and one or more GIS software that will be available
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 611 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 612 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 61 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |