121-209 Inside the City of Diversity

Students who have successfully completed the subject 705-289/121-019 Urbanisation and Urban Development are ineligible to enrol in this subject.

Usually completion of 100 points of first and/or second year subjects from Arts or Urban Planning, or permission of instructor.

This subject examines how the spaces inside cities, the qualities and resources of their built environments, and the features of their neighbourhoods and communities, enhance or limit the opportunities of different groups of city dwellers. Starting from conceptual positions that foreground inequality, difference and encounter, we ask who benefits and who loses from particular socio-spatial arrangements. Issues investigated will include: the growth of gated communities for the wealthy; homelessness; the privatisation of urban public services; cities as the spaces of identified social groups (women, youth, those of particular ethnicities) and the urban activisms associated with such 'differences'; interactions in public space and in the micro-public places of the multicultural city. Cases and examples will be drawn from cities around the world, primarily from developed countries. Students will explore the socio-spaces of Melbourne in research for their major essay.

• have developed their ability to evaluate critically different theories and analytical approaches.

• have improved their capacity to translate this knowledge into applied analysis;

• have gathered and created new information about urban conditions;

• improve their communication skills in public presentation about their own research project and findings.

Tutorial paper totalling 500 words 15% (due by mid semester; research essay of 1500 words 45% (due near end of semester; 2 hour examination 40% (to be held in final examination period) for which the questions will be distributed in the last lecture.