Global London: Contemporary Urbanism, Culture and Space

About

Using London as a laboratory and a springboard, this course explores how contemporary cities are being theorised, experienced and understood.

A truly global city, London is both an international centre of finance and culture, and home to people from all over the world.

London is also an ordinary city where people negotiate their everyday routines. You will be introduced to a range of interdisciplinary themes within urban studies to allow you to engage analytically and critically with the complexities and diversities of urban life and experiences.

You will have the opportunity to learn from what London has to offer whilst also thinking about the contradictions it produces.

Ultimately, the course aims to enable you to think critically about and through your stay in London, and to consider your own relations to, and place within, an increasingly urbanised world.

Week one: London in a World of Cities – Global vs Ordinary Cities
Defining the city and defining the urban
The globalisation and urbanisation nexus
The global vs ordinary city hypothesis
Architecture and the city

Week two: A World of Two Cities – Urban Diversity
Transnational urbanism and multi-ethnic London
Everyday urbanism
Community, inclusion and exclusion

Week three: Urban Culture and Neighbourhood Change
Unpacking culture
Cultural production and the creative city
Neighbourhood change and gentrification

Course leader

Hayley Gewer

Course aim

This module aims to:

- Introduce you to key academic theories, frameworks and concepts to better understand contemporary cities.
- Engage you around the social, economic, cultural and political dynamics that shape London and its urban life.
- Enable you to critically reflect on and apply urban theories and concepts to London and to your own cities.
- Provide you with the opportunity to learn about London and to understand the complexities and diversities contained within the contemporary city.
- Allow you to experience a range of different learning methods and environments (case studies, field trips, project and portfolio work) when analysing everyday urban life.
- Provide you with the opportunity to experiment with different research and data collection methods to record everyday urban experiences and practices.
- Encourage you to develop critical awareness and reflective skills through working both independently and as part of a team.

Fee info