Universität Wien

240027 VS Policy and the City (3.3.1) (2020S)

Continuous assessment of course work

Participation at first session is obligatory!

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Office Hours: By appointment

Tuesday 03.03. 09:45 - 13:00 Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 17.03. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 31.03. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 21.04. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 05.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 19.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday 26.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Course Description
This course takes a closer look at a variety of policies, projects, and strategies that facilitate urban change in recent decades. With a number of actors and institutions operating on a local, regional, national, or global level, cities participate in global processes and are consequentially shaped by them. In this class, attention will be given to how urban change is shaped by events, networks, and institutions beyond the local boundaries and how actors within cities respond to and challenge them. We will look at how political, economic, and cultural historical and contemporary changes shape and affect which policies and projects are implemented and how. Through such cases, we will see who and how has the power to create and implement projects and policies, and who simultaneously becomes excluded or marginalized. By taking a look at various examples and theoretical frameworks throughout the world, the class is intended to foster critical engagement with urban change and urban policy.

This course will discuss multiple themes, ranging from gentrification, migration, and regimes of governance to understand how policy development emerges in cities at different times, within different contexts, and with different actors. Additionally, it looks at the complexities and relationships and highlights power structures that directly or indirectly shape how cities look. Who is welcomed, why, and when? What historical contexts influence how cities are today? What power relations influence the landscapes, infrastructures, and residents of a given city? How do political contexts and structures influence development and change in urban areas? This class intends to engage with these and other questions by engaging multiple themes and a variety of readings.

Method
This is a seminar class, which means that students are expected to critically engage with the readings and participate in discussions. As such, active and constructive participation is key and will be part of the grade. All students are encouraged to bring their own experiences, points of view, and references to materials for a more dynamic and interactive class.

Learning Outcomes
- Have a grasp of anthropological approaches to policy, as well as basic theories affecting urban change;
- Become familiar with terminologies and definitions relating to urban redevelopment and policy;
- Understand political, cultural, and economic changes that influence policy beyond the city;
- Identify actors and institutions supporting and challenging city policy and for what purposes;
- Critically asses who is excluded, why, when, and how, and under what circumstances in policy implementations;
- Identify and understand historical and contemporary contexts behind urban policy and implementation.

Assessment and permitted materials

- Final paper – 35%
Word Count: 2500 max
Topic: Paper outlining a policy or a project of your own choosing in a city of your own choice. The policy or a project does not have to be contemporary or completed. Instead, it could be from the past, ongoing, or rejected from implementation.
Expectation: The paper should be in conversation with the theories and topics discussed throughout the semester and demonstrate a clear understanding on how theories and frameworks are applied. Student should also provide a historical context that clearly demonstrates the ongoing processes that affect urban change. In addition, the relationships between different actors should be outlined and placed in conversation with one another to provide a broader picture of the policy or project discussed in the paper.

*Structure of paper will be discussed in class

- Blog Post – 35%
Students should pick a project or policy in a city of their own choosing and write a 300-500 word blog post for each class (every other week).
Blog post is designed to help students with their final paper. Students are allowed to, but do not have to, use the blog posts for their term paper. Students are encouraged to use the blog posts and materials acquired for the blog posts for their final assignment.

Blog post should be submitted Sunday (midnight) before each class via Moodle.

This assignment is designed to give students space to explore different topics and projects in cities throughout the world and take a deeper look into the actors, contexts, and purposes for these policies/projects. Each blog post should cover a different angle about the project or policy that is picked. Where applicable, students should provide references, reports, data, and statistics.

- Class participation – 30%
Students are expected to read all of the readings and contribute to class discussion. Some class discussion will be done in smaller groups, while others will be done together. Students should pose questions and engage critically with the materials, as well as bring their own experiences, knowledge from previous classes, and ideas that engage with the readings.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). From winter term 2019/20 the plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used for courses with continuous assessment.

Examination topics

Reading list

Full reading list will be uploaded on Moodle by the beginning of class.
Students can expect 1-2 readings per class meeting.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:21