Global Urban Challenges (10) URBAN5145

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

The global urban system poses many challenges: in the global North, many cities face physical decay, economic instability, and inequality; in the global South and East rapid urbanisation has consumed huge amounts of land and other resources, disrupting traditional ways of life, and creating huge gaps between rich and poor. This course examines global urban challenges through in-depth thematic and regional case studies to help students gain an in-depth understanding of contemporary urban issues.

Timetable

18 hours of timetabled on-campus teaching in Semester 2. Classes delivered in 3 hourly blocks, once per week, over 6 consecutive weeks. There will be a 1 hour lecture, followed by a 2 hour seminar.

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

This course will be formally assessed by means of an essay of 2,500 words (100%) where students will be asked to critically explore theories of urbanisation, their relationship to urban challenges at the global scale, and their application to planning practice.

Course Aims

The aim of this course is to provide students with in-depth knowledge of contemporary global urban challenges. The course begins with a thematic consideration of key contemporary urban issues before then exploring more regionally specific or paradigmatic issues through particular city case studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify and discuss diverse contemporary urban challenges at the global level and demonstrate a sound understanding of current urban problems faced by urbanites and the policy and planning issues they raise; 

■ Critically assess a range of urbanisation theories, policies and approaches developed by global, national and urban organisations in dealing with these sustainability, democracy and justice challenges in urban areas; 

■ Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the relationships between social, economic and environmental challenges (including climate change), and how these change over time and interrelate with each other

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.

Minimum requirement for award of credit for students on MSc City Planning is D3 or above. University standard regulations apply to students on other qualifications.