The course explores theoretical, methodological and empirical realities of cities across the global South, offering analytical insights into how informality, infrastructure, everyday life, and diversity pose particular challenges and opportunities for city planners and policy makers, in a wider context of urban climate crises, unemployment, poverty and urban insecurity.

6 weekly 3 hour sessions in Semester 2, including tutorial to support assessments.

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Short in-class test - 1 hour to assess understanding of key concepts only (30%)

Written report in the form of a 1500-word multi-source blog (70%) focusing on a single city case study

Students must show an understanding of contemporary conceptual debates within southern urbanism, recognising particular challenges for planners and other policy actors relating to such matters as informality, infrastructure, diversity, everyday life and politics.

The course aims to provide a theoretical, methodological and empirical overview of urban realities in the global South and the challenges and opportunities associated with these for planners and policy-makers.

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

■ Understand and critique different conceptual debates and methodological approaches relevant to cities in the global South

■ Appreciate and demonstrate the significance of informality, diversity, everyday life, infrastructure and politics in shaping southern cities

■ Recognise and appraise the varied challenges and opportunities posed by southern city realities for urban practitioners including planners and policy makers

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.