Module manager: Dr Asa Roast
Email: a.roast@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module is a critical history of urban planning, and covers changing social conditions and the planning of cities in the 'modern' world (1830s to late 20th century). The origins and development of modern urban planning are investigated with special emphasis placed on their growing complexity and diversity in the 20th century. The focus is on understanding the logics and ideologies which gave rise to interventions into urban and regional geography by individuals and institutions in positions of power. The worldwide diffusion of modern planning practices and their impacts on local populations are examined, as part of a broad international investigation of the politics of urban life and their relation to systems of colonialism, capitalism and socialism.
On completion of this module students should have acquired:
i) an understanding of issues and themes in the politics of planning and development of cities (c. 1830 to late 20th century), with particular regard to issues of power, social injustice, and design.
ii) an appreciation of how modern urban geographies were produced, and why.
iii) an appreciation of the politics of planning urban space and their integration with broader issues of social justice, race, colonialism, ideology and geopolitics.
iv) an understanding of critical theoretical and philosophical perspectives on urban planning and development in the modern world, with a particular focus on themes of gender, housing, the commons, and mobility
v) an understanding of the challenges to and failures of modernist planning, and how these relate to contemporary planning challenges.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
LO1: Apply theories of urban change to analyse the political outcomes of discrete urban case studies
LO2: Interpret and contextualise urban environments based on historical information
LO3: Analyse the different ideological and design principles at work in urban environments
LO4: Assess any theory-practice gaps in examples of historical urban planning
Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
Academic
Critical thinking: Formulate ideas and hold claims and opinions regarding urban planning to account by supporting them with evidence and sound reasoning, avoiding biases in one’s own reasoning.
Work-ready
Problem solving and analysis: The ability to analyse complex problems in urban planning and the urban environment in their relevant historical and geographical context, and understand how this context shapes the nature of any solutions that may be applied
Digital
Researching Data
The ability to undertake detailed historical and geographical research which explores an urban context they have never previously experienced and infer broader insights into urban planning.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 172 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 28 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Seminars will be used for preparing students for the case study projects, and will help ensure understand of material and assessments. There will be a dedicated formative feedback workshop towards the end of the module, and opportunities for feedback on plans offered at midway point.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Coursework | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team