87649 - Urban Studies And Climate Change

Learning outcomes

The course introduces students to the emerging field of urban studies connected to climate change issue. At the end of the course, students will have a knowledge about: 1) the relationship between two global driving forces: urbanization and climate change; 2) different theoretical and methodological tools to explore how the transformation of cities facing climate change is being understood, managed and achieved; 3) Different approaches promoting more sustainable and resilient forms of urbanization and urban life.

Course contents

The course is organized with a part of lectures taught online on MS TEAMS (20 hours) and another taught in presence (20 hours). The number of students allowed in class is determined on the basis of class capacity and by the health and safety provisions that deal with the pandemic emergency. In case more students want to attend classes in presence than permitted by the rules, a system of shifts will be organized so to allow students to participate. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

Climate change and unprecedented planetary urbanization remain two of the most urgent issues of our time, reshaping societies. Climate change has worldwide implications -from the exacerbation of urban inequalities, to the loss of environmental, social and economic security. In this regard, sustainable urbanisation has moved more and more to the forefront of policy agendas and research.

Using several theoretical approaches and epirical studies, the course will analyze 1) forms and impact of urbanization processes; 2)  how climate change impacts different social groups in our urban systems; 3) Post-carbon cities: adaptation and mitigation strategies being currently implemented.

Readings/Bibliography

Beck U. (2015), Emancipatory catastrophism: What does it mean to climate change and risk society? Current Sociology;63(1):75-88.

Brenner N. (2016), “The Hinterland, Urbanized?,” AD / Architectural Design, 118-127.

Klinenberg E. (2002), Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.

Sampson R.J. (2017), “Urban sustainability in an age of enduring inequalities: Advancing theory and ecometrics for the 21st-century city”, PNAS, 114, pp. 8957-8962. available at http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/34/8957.full.pdf

Shove E. (2010), Beyond the ABC: climate change policy and theories of social change, in: Environment and Planning A, Vol. 42, No. 6, p. 1273-1285 disponibile su https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.472.5018&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Teaching methods

Class meetings will combine lecture and discussion.

Assessment methods

Oral exam on the recommended readings. Alternatively, students may also submit a written report, focusing on one of the proposed articles or another one to be agreed with the instructor.

Attending students can submit a written paper and have an oral presentation focusing on a specfic topic agreed with the instructor.

 

Teaching tools

Slides presentation, videos, websites.

The slides presented at class will be available during the course.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Landi