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Cities are back in town : urban sociology for a globalizing urban world

Approx. 12 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course provides an introduction to urban development and planning, exploring the challenges and opportunities of creating sustainable cities. Students will learn about the history of urban development and the key players involved in shaping our cities today.

Key Learning Points

Understand the history of urban development and its impact on modern cities
Explore the challenges and opportunities of creating sustainable urban environments
Learn about key players in urban development and planning
Develop skills in urban design and planning
Gain knowledge of current trends and issues in urban development

Learning Outcomes

Develop a deeper understanding of urban development and planning
Gain skills in urban design and planning
Learn about current trends and issues in urban development
Explore the challenges and opportunities of creating sustainable urban environments
Understand the role of key players in shaping our cities today

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge or experience required
Basic understanding of urban environments and city planning helpful

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Assignments
Quizzes

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Description

Urbanization is reaching a new peak in the contemporary world with the rise of mega cities. Researchers try to make sense of these large urban areas using a variety of concepts. The class will review debates and present social science models of cities to analyse and compare contemporary developments.

General Overview Help Center Urbanization is reaching a new peak in the contemporary world with the rise of mega cities. Researchers try to make sense of these large urban areas using a variety of concepts. The class will review debates and present social science models of cities to analyse and compare contemporary developments. Globalization, Europeanization processes support the rapid developments of cities in different part of the world. Urbanization is reaching a new high in the contemporary world with the rise of mega cities (beyond 15 million inhabitants) such as Calcutta, Los Angeles, Dhaka, Cairo, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Mexico or Seoul. Beyond the modern metropolis, researchers try to make sense of these large urban areas using a variety of concepts such as the ‘postmetropolis’, ‘global cities’, and ‘global city-regions’. The class will review debates and present social science models of cities and metropolis to analyse and compare contemporary developments. How can do we study those cities when they become mega urban regions, does size matter and for what? Do we see the making of a vast urban world or by contrast beyond the apparent convergence of complex globalisation processes understood in relation to globalised capitalism, is it possible to identify masked differentiations and the strengthening of different urban worlds? How do we make sense of this urban world when cities are not independent units but have to be understood both in terms of territories, rootedness, and at the same time in terms of relations to take into account flux, mobility, circulations ? What is the relevance of social science concepts developed in the Western world to analyse the transformation of Lagos? To what extent may the systematic development of new forms of comparison between northern cities and cities from the South change social sciences and contribute to overcome the bias towards national comparison? For the time being, given current conditions of capitalism, political, economic, cultural and social questions are increasingly becoming urban questions. In the modern conception of the world/globalcity, characterised by size, the aggregation of housing, differentiated divisions of labour, and the density of interaction, several conceptions of cities exist which have become entangled and sometimes opposed to each other. These different conceptions underline different processes of integration: the material city of walls, squares, houses, roads, light, utilities, buildings, waste, and physical infrastructure; the cultural city in terms of imaginations, differences, representations, ideas, symbols, arts, texts, senses, religion, and aesthetics; the politics and policies of the city in terms of domination, power, government, mobilisation, public policies, welfare, education; the social city of riots, ethnic, economic and gender inequalities, everyday life and social movements; and the economy of the city : the division of labour, scale, production, consumption, trade..... Classic urban questions about inequalities, housing, government, integration, are combined with issues about the urban fabric, questions of mobility and rootedness, sustainable development and risks, the making of the cyborg cities, questions of social control and riots, urban culture, innovation and urban economic development. All video produced by Sciences Po for this Mooc are under Creative Commons (BY / NC / SA) Recommended Background The course is designed for undergraduates but it also will interest graduates and professionals concerned in urban issues. The course is organized in 8 sequences and displays multimedia contents (images, video, original documents). There will be also assignments that consist in participating to discussions related to theoretical models presented in the course based on case studies of your choice, and peer assessments on your contributions. Syllabus : Week #1 : Introduction, definition, urban questions and the use of models Week #2 : European cities and the weberian model of integration Week #3 : Colonial and post colonial cities Week #4 : Industrial cities (and Socialist cities) and Marxist models Week #5 : The American metropolis and the Chicago School, Week #6 : Post metropolis, fragments and differences Week #7 : Global cities and mega cities Week #8 : Smart cities and the sociology of science and technology

Outline

Week 1 – Introduction
Welcome to the new urban world
Ancient cities
Words to qualify cities and the urban world
A world of cities or a generalised urban world ?
Definitions
Models and urban sociology
Urbanisation processes
References

Week 2 – European City
Introduction to European city
Municipal revolution and the fragile political autonomy
The weberian model of the « Occidental city »
Neo weberian model part 1
Neo weberian model part 2
The Los Angeles case study
Historical emergence of european cities
The urban bourgeoisie
The Venice Case study
Municipal revolution and the fragile political autonomy v2
How useful is the European city model
References

Week 3 – Colonial City
Imposing a universal European framework or looking for alternatives ?
Inequality, segregation and the colonial political order part 1
Inequality, segregation and the colonial political order part 2
Features of colonial cities
Legacy of colonisation, post colonial cities ? v1
Colonial empires and the making of colonial cities
Do colonisers need cities ?
A model of colonial cities ?
Legacy of colonisation, post colonial cities ? v2
References

Week 4 – Industrial City
Industrial urbanisation and urban change
Two waves of industrialization
The making of the industrial city as a social structure
Methods and variables of the marxist industrial agglomeration model
The Industrial revolution and the emergence of the industrial cities/urban regions
The conditions of the working class: exploitation, poverty, inequalities
The physical infrastructure of the industrial metropolis
Industrial cities beyond Europe, Chicago takes the lead
A marxist interpretation of the industrial city
Industrial cities after the West and the industrial city model
References

Week 5 – Metropolis
centers of experiment for modern social life
European capitals of the great nation states of the 19th century turn into metropolis
Metropolis in the south
The human ecology of cities and the US coming of age of urban sociology
Competition and the development of the metropolis
New York, the American metropolis
Buenos Aires
Metropolis and the urban way of life
"The City" by Louis Wirth
The segregated metropolis, race and class, measures and cultural making of boundaries part 1
The segregated metropolis, race and class, measures and cultural making of boundaries part 2
References

Week 6 – Global City
a globalising urban capitalist world
Globalization
Big cities with advanced economic functions ?
Conclusion Global city
The rise of mega cities
The financiarisation of the city, real estates, utilities
A model of the urbanization of capital
Scott and Storper and the new economic geography
Cities of flows and nodes of networks
Unequal City
References

Week 7 – Post Metropolis
Post metropolis and the criticism of models
Conflictual cities, Contested cities, rejecting modernism, capitalism and the state
Beyond modernism the cultural turn of urban studies
Culture and entertainment are back in town, the city of visitors
Different urban worlds
Urban Riots
informal settlements, networks and illegalities part 1
informal settlements, networks and illegalities part 2
Conclusion Post Metrpolis
References

Week 8 – Digital City
Introduction to smart city – Part 1
Introduction to smart city – Part 2
Maps and networks – Part 1
Maps and networks – Part 2
Smart city model – Part 1
Sustainable city
Maps and networks – Part 3
Smart city model - Part 2
Access and online activity in the city
Transforming life - transforming India
References

Summary of User Reviews

The Urban Development course on Coursera is highly recommended by many users. Students found the course to be engaging, informative, and well-structured. The course covers a range of topics related to urban development, including planning, design, and policy. The instructor is knowledgeable and provides clear explanations on complex topics. One key aspect that many users thought was good is the emphasis on real-world examples and case studies.

Pros from User Reviews

Engaging and informative course content
Well-structured course with clear explanations
Instructor is knowledgeable and supportive
Emphasis on real-world examples and case studies
Opportunities for hands-on learning through assignments and projects

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the workload to be heavy
The course may be too technical for beginners
Limited interaction with other students
The course may not be suitable for those looking for a broad overview of urban development
The course may not be suitable for those who prefer lecture-style learning