KGLM 2180 - Comparative Urban Planning

This introductory course explores the role of spatial planning in urban policy making and governance, with a focus on critical perspectives across key thematic areas in the field. The course offers a comparative perspective of the field of spatial planning. By comparing different theories and diverse practices, this course will introduce students to an analytical framework to understand spatial planning and explain its underlying dimensions of political power and social struggle. Rather than a distinct academic discipline, spatial planning is presented as an interconnected area of political decision-making within the broader framework of territorial governance. The primary aim is to equip students with a nuanced understanding of how spatial planning can be leveraged to improve the relationship between local communities and their physical environments. To this end, the curriculum will delve into several core planning themes, including mobility, heritage conservation, land use, housing, infrastructure and sustainability. For each topic, the course will critically examine current debates, planning approaches, and case studies from diverse regional contexts. Throughout the semester, students will investigate how spatial planning practices operate across different scales, anticipate future events, and transgress traditional boundaries. By the end of the course, students will develop a multidimensional perspective on contemporary planning practice, equipped to navigate the complexities of spatial policy making in a rapidly urbanizing world.

10%: participation in class (Active participation in discussions, critical thinking, thoughtful questions, constructive debates, insightful comments on readings, contribution to group activities, and sharing relevant examples)

ASSIGNMENT 1

0%: (This assignment carries no grade weight but is mandatory): Introductory Personal Reflection on Urban Planning (Blog post): As an introduction to this Master's program, please provide a 1-page personal reflection that addresses your background, experiences, and aspirations related to urban planning, including a description of your ideal city and how you hope to apply your interests and goals through this program, as a form of self-assessment to double-check at the end of the year (deadline: class 2).

ASSIGNMENT 2

30%: Group Presentation on an Urban Challenge: For this assignment, students will work in groups of 3 to research and present on a specific urban challenge taking place in a location outside of France, providing an in-depth analysis of the history, current status, and broader socioeconomic and political context of the selected issue. Groups will prepare a 15-minute presentation that details the challenge's history and development, examines its current status and key stakeholders, discusses the employed tactics, and applies principles of inclusive, equitable urban development to propose potential interventions. The presentation should engage the class in an interactive manner, utilizing various audiovisual aids, with time allotted for questions and discussion afterwards.(deadline: class 8)

ASSIGNMENT 3

60%: Urban Intervention Proposal: This group assignment builds directly upon your previous work, utilizing the qualitative data you've already collected to develop a comprehensive urban intervention proposal. Working in groups of two or three, you'll create a detailed plan for spatial intervention at the neighborhood scale in the city you analyzed in your earlier assignment.

Your proposal should leverage the qualitative insights gathered previously to inform a practical, context-sensitive development scenario. The key components of your proposal include:

Site Analysis: Describe, illustrate, and interpret the chosen place using maps, pictures, and the qualitative data from your previous assignment. Each visual element must have an explanatory caption and contribute meaningfully to your proposal.ù

Intervention Design: Based on your qualitative findings, suggest modified spatial assets that enhance ecological development, circular urbanism, and community development in the area.

Implementation Strategy: Drawing on local insights from your earlier research, briefly discuss the political strategy and implementation plan for your project.

Future Implications: Analyze how your proposed interventions, informed by on-the-ground research, might impact future city-making processes.

Your paper should be at least 8,000 words long, excluding references, diagrams, and images. All visual elements must be justified and integral to your proposal (deadline: 10th January 2027).