Overview

This is an elective module for people in Masters programmes in Urban Studies or Planning, open also to any other UCL Masters students.

Teaching and Learning Methods: Lectures and seminars will form just over half of the course, with smaller group discussions of reading materials and case study materials and attendance at a community-led meeting forming the other half. There will be opportunities for students to prepare and present overviews of aspects of the London Plan and case studies of experiences of strategic planning in other cities. There will be at least four sessions devoted to problem-based learning, where independent and group-based work will be facilitated towards preparing an analysis of aspects of the London Plan process.

Aims & Outcomes

Students will:

• Attain advanced critical knowledge of the politics of city planning
• Acquire in-depth knowledge of the urban politics of London
• Develop understanding of the value of community based research
• Build and apply research and writing skills to work with local community groups in the analysis of community participation in strategic planning n London

Structure/Outline

Weekly class sessions + private study + field visits to groups and organisations. Student presentations + conference/symposium with citizen groups.

Further details will be posted on https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk search for URBNG007 and log in as a guest for the time being.

Staff

Professor Jennifer Robinson
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Michael Edwards

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Richard Lee, coordinator of the Just Space Network
Richard is a freelance organiser and community support worker who has worked with London-wide and local organisations for many years, most recently with the London Civic Forum and the Just Space Network on the latest cycle of revision to the London Plan.

Assessment

1 x 3000 word essay or report

Indicative Reading

Robinson, J. 2008. Developing Ordinary Cities: City visioning processes in Durban and Johannesburg, Environment and Planning A 40, 74-87.

Michael Edwards (2010 October) Do Londoners make their own plan? in K Scanlon and B Kochan (eds) London: coping with austerity, LSE London Series, paperback, 978-0-85328-459-8, chapter 5, 57-71. Eprint http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/20241/ Whole book is a free download at http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSELondon

Bowie, D (2010) Politics, planning and homes in a world city: the Mayor of London and strategic planning for housing in London 2000-2008, London: Routledge