Module manager: Prof. Sara Gonzalez
Email: s.gonzalez@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| GEOG3050 | Helsinki : Urban Growth and Sustainability |
| GEOG3145 | Exploring the Mediterranean Migration Crisis |
GEOG3135 Urban Transformations Field Class
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module will generate an in-depth critical engagement with urban transformations taking place in Bilbao, a city in Northern Spain, in the face of global challenges such as climate change, unaffordable housing, extractive economic development and food injustice. The module also engages students with practical fieldwork methodologies geographic knowledge production and analysis of spatial relationships. This will take place through a residential fieldtrip to Bilbao, which will address key questions affecting cities today and how policymakers, residents and local community groups not only respond but also develop creative alternative strategies. We will also consider the spatial relations and politics which underly these transformations: who is driving these changes, who will benefit from them, and who will lose out? We will examine a range of distinct urban locations in Bilbao and record what types of ‘urban futures’ are anticipated and created by the changes taking place within them. There will be an emphasis on student-led epistemology in these locations, strengthening skills on to record data about the places we visit, and the analytical skills needed to produce meaningful geographical knowledge out of this data. Lectures will familiarise students with key concepts, topics and methodologies; while the field class will provide an opportunity to engage in fieldwork activities.
Through a residential field class, the key aims of this module are to provide students with:
- a real world appreciation of the changing urban geography of cities
- an understanding of how historical and geographical context shapes the opportunities and challenges facing Bilbao
- a critical insight into the complex local development issues , financial logics, land ownership, economic processes, housing demand, demographic change, and social movements on the nature and direction of urban transformations
- the opportunity to explore contemporary urban debates about regeneration, energy, urban infrastructures, socio-spatial segregation, gentrification, public space, the housing crisis, retail, planning, financialisation, sustainability and decarbonisation
- the skills to undertake independent field research, take field notes, plan projects, and produce multimedia-based research reports.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
SSLO1: Knowledge of key theories within human geography, especially those regarding urban change and urban critical studies;
SSLO2: An appreciation of the role of academics, local government, private companies social enterprises
SSLO3: Knowledge of key policy debates around contemporary urban changes in Bilbao, the wider-city region and the Basque Country comprising economic development, urban and spatial planning, urban regeneration, housing provision, climate change, social inclusion and public space;
SSLO4: Awareness on how to design inclusive, ethical and rigorous field-based research, particularly in relation to methods such as (but not necessarily including all) observation, semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and ethnography;
SSLO5: Practical application of concepts and methods learnt in the classroom.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SKLO1: Critical thinking: Gather information and perspectives from a range of sources; analyse, and interpret to aid understanding, inform decisions/opinions, and anticipate problems. Use reasoning and judgement to identify needs, make decisions, solve problems, and respond with actions.
SKLO2: Active Learning: Learn through practice, learning proactively and adopting effective learning strategies.
SKLO3: Cultural and diversity awareness:
SKLO4: Systemsing: Recognises and understands how parts of a system work together: analyses complex systems (environmental, economic and social systems and interdependencies across these); considers how systems are embedded within different domains and scales; deals with uncertainty; uses analytical thinking
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 6 | 7 | 42 |
| Group learning | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Lecture | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lecture | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Seminar | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Private study hours | 145 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 55 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
There will be opportunities for formative feedback during the seminars and staff office hours prior to the fieldtrip. There will be a dedicated “reflective” session during the fieldtrip where to take stock of the learning so far and check on the understanding of key concepts and processes discussed in the fieldtrip.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 70 |
| Coursework | Group work | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resit of groupwork assessment will be an individual assignment proposing a field day activity.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 06/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team