The problems facing cities in the 21st century are huge - rapid urbanization, pollution, climate change, poverty and exclusion etc. but increasing technical sophistication presents new understandings and opportunities for urban planning.  Planning City Futures embraces these challenges, providing a critical understanding of the nature and purpose of spatial planning in an international context. 

Part 1 introduces the theoretical debates surrounding issues of globalization, governance and environment in different political, cultural and socio-economic urban contexts, followed by studies of sectoral planning for land, housing, transport, and infrastructure, within a rights-based critique.  Part 2 includes conference-style teaching on either housing policy in emerging cities or strategic urban planning.

1. Understand debates on the nature and purpose of planning interventions and their role in shaping alternative city futures

2. Evaluate the contributions of planning interventions to making place/mediating space

3. Assess 21st challenges - eg: globalization, climate change, poverty reduction, and their implications on urban sustainability and development

4. Develop an understanding of urban spatial systems and the processes of urban change

5. Understand sectoral approaches to city development and management and the role of key actors in the development process

Develop skills in assessing policy outcomes.

The module will be taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars, and conference-style teaching.

Skills developed through the module include:

1. Development of an awareness of current drivers of urban changes,
2. Skills in understanding and critical analysis, and
3. Analytical, essay writing and presentation skills.

Group analysis and presentation (15%)
Individual essay -  Essay plus formative seminar (85%)

As part of the module's formative assessment, all students will have to present a 10 minute individual presentation of their essay in the Autumn Semester.

Students are permitted to be reassessed (usually once) in a module which they have failed, in line with course regulations. The reassessment will usually take place during the summer.

Introduction:  theory, nature and purpose of planning ― The urban challenge; history of urban settlements; utopian planning; imagining city futures.

Managing cities in a globalising world ― World cities to neighbourhoods: institutions & actors; globalisation & its implications for city futures: role of international agencies; innovative approaches to planning; challenges of the 21^st century.

Urban governance, networks and competitiveness ― Defining urban governance, urban regime theory, good governance. Case Study, Malaysia

Urban sustainability ― Defining sustainable development; environmental problems in cities; the green and brown agenda, climate change.

Property and land markets ― Property development, land markets, housing and urban planning.  Case studies.

Housing Processes ― Conference-style teaching

Economies and livelihoods - Role of urban economies in development; local economic development; informal economy, urban livelihoods. 

Sustainable transport ― Planning for sustainable transport: transport and spatial form; mobility and access; travel demand; urban travel supply; intermediate transport, urban transport challenges; Curitiba.

Urban services ― Issues in planning and upgrading of infrastructure and services.

Alternative city futures ― Smart cities: urban management in the electronic age

Allen, T. and Thomas, A. (eds 2000) Poverty and Development into the 21st Century, Osford: Oxford University Press (330.91724 P)

Bulkeley, H. (2012) Cities and Climate change, Abingdon: Routledge (363.73874 BUL)

Davis, M. (2006) Planet of Slums, London, Verso (307.76 D)

Jenkins, P., Smith, H, and Wang, Y-P. (2007) Planning and Housing in the Rapidly Urbanising World, London: Routledge (307.76 J)

Pieterse, E. (2008) City Futures: Confronting the crisis of urban development, London: Zed Publishing (307.76 PIE)

Todaro, M. and Smith, S. (2011) Economic Development, London: Pearson, Addison Wesley (11th edition) (338.90091724 TOD)

UNCHS (UNHabitat) (2003) The Challenge of Slums: Global report on human settlements, London: Earthscan (307.3364C)  and electronically at: http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=1156

UN-HABITAT (2009) Planning Sustainable Cities, Global Report on Human Settlements, 2009, London, Earthscan, downloadable from http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2831, also in library at (307.1216 PLA)