Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Overview

Geographical theories and approaches to issues and practices in contemporary urban policy and planning, drawing on global and New Zealand experiences.

About this paper

Paper title Urban Theory and Practice
Subject Geography
EFTS 0.2500
Points 30 points
Teaching period Semester 1 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $2,867.00
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Restriction
GEOG 457

Overview

Geographical theories and approaches to issues and practices in contemporary urban policy and planning, drawing on global and New Zealand experiences.

Cities and towns are experiencing rapid change and need to respond to global challenges such as: climate change, changing economic and development realities, housing shortages, population ageing and social stresses.

This course examines global and New Zealand evidence of these challenges and how, in our contemporary era, with its focus on sustainable development, urban planners are responding. Examining contextual theories and applied strategic interventions will be discussed in parallel, and students will engage in a group project examining a real-world urban development issue.

About this paper

Paper title Urban Theory and Practice
Subject Geography
EFTS 0.2500
Points 30 points
Teaching period Semester 2 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Restriction
GEOG 457
Eligibility

Admission to post-graduate studies at the University of Otago. There are no specific course prerequisites.

Contact

geography@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Professor Etienne Nel

Alan Matheson

Paper Structure

The course will cover the following core themes:

  • Urban development
  • Spatial Planning
  • City Development Strategies
  • Indigenous Planning
  • Greening the city and climate change
Teaching Arrangements

The course will be based on:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • A field trip
  • A group-based research project
Textbooks

There is no specific textbook. Students will be referred to library material and online resources in every session.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Environmental literacy, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students will:

  • Have developed a capacity to critically evaluate the complexity of evolving processes of urban transformation–in economic, social, cultural, physical and political terms.
  • Be able to evaluate the plurality of histories and meanings in the production and experience of the urban landscape in different places and the impact of these and other processes on urban development both in a general sense and through local evidence.
  • Be able to apply a critical understanding of key urban theories, discourses and practices and their impacts.
  • Be able to identify and critically evaluate decision-making processes and policy options for improving the urban environment.
  • Be able to collect, analyse and present secondary information in a scholarly manner.
Assessment details

This paper is 100% internally assessed.

Back to top