705-289 Urbanisation and Urban Development

Formerly available as 121-019 and 705-489/651. Students who have completed 705-489/651 or 121-019 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

25 points of Urban Planning, Geography, Sociology or Public Policy/Political Science subjects.

Urbanisation is the process by which the majority of a society's population comes to live in and around cities. Urban development is, simply, the way cities grow: how they change in structure, economy, and social relations over time. This subject will focus on ways urbanisation has been understood in the 19th and 20th centuries, theories regarding divisions and differences within cities and current issues related to urbanization and urban development. Although the focus is on Australian and other relatively wealthy societies which urbanised during the 19th century, the subject will also consider the newly urbanizing societies of the late 20th and 21st centuries.

On completion of the subject students should be able to:

• Understand and compare the most influential theories of urbanisation and urban development over the past two centuries.

• Analyse current urban development issues in and around Melbourne in relation to broader perspectives on cities and theories about their growth and structure.

• Analyse observations of particular sites within Melbourne, and tie these observations into theories about urbanisation and urban development.

• Write and speak clearly and persuasively on topics related to urbanisation and urban development.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Comprehension of complex concepts of urban development and change.

• Use of concepts of urban development and change in unfamiliar research problems.

• Critical awareness of theoretical perspectives in urbanisation and urban development.

• Understanding of regional, national and local differences in urbanisation and urban development.

• Capacity for limited empirical work in understanding urbanisation and urban change.

• Collaborative learning as a team-member.

Participation in class and tutorials (10%), 1000 word essay on 'Reading the City' (25%), 1500 word contribution to discussion forum or research paper (35%) and a final exam (30%).