City Leadership
City leadership is intertwined today with the agendas and influence of the private sector, academia and community groups both locally, but also nationally and internationally.
From waste management to urban health, climate action and migration, the challenges city leaders in municipal government and beyond are sizeable and often span complex geographies. The business of managing ‘who gets what, when and how in cities is becoming an increasingly complex and, even (if not even more so) in the wake of a pandemic crisis setting apart cities and nations, a more and more internationalised job that goes beyond the purview of stereotypically local-oriented urban managers.
The two-week Summer Intensive Subject is a practical introduction to urban governance.
The subject focuses on city leadership, the institutions and trends that underpin it, and the sets of strategic skills needed to deliver effective urban governance in the wake of pressing global challenges. It offers a practical guide to how city leadership works and how it engages with major issues. It emphasises responsibility and collective leadership as key skills for today’s urban practitioners, whilst encouraging sound academic research in urban governance.
The course is designed to build capacity with students to take up leadership as a ‘strategic’ activity in urban governance with an explicit international focus to support the development of a globally oriented practice of city leadership. The subject intends to develop a general understanding and practical skills as to what role ‘leadership’ plays in cities, targeting graduate students who intend to pursue a career in cities of Australia as well as those keen on working internationally.
