Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - URB 605 G100

Great Urban Thinkers (4)

Class Number: 8136

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Tue, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examination of the thought of key urban thinkers who have defined the field of urban studies, drawing from architecture, planning, sociology, history, anthropology, political science, public policy, and geography.

COURSE DETAILS:

Learning Outcomes

We live in a period of human history that can be identified not only as global, but also as urban.  The world’s population, wealth, and productive activity are primarily concentrated in cities.  The city also exists as a site of extreme poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.  This course will look at the academics, architects, advocates, adversaries, and allies of the city who, in their own ways, have contributed to our present cumulation of knowledge about the city and urban experience.  Their writings, speeches, plans, and policies have impacted not only the field of urban studies, but, in many cases, the urban form itself.  Drawing on primary and secondary sources from a multitude of disciplines, locations, and scales, this course offers a range of perspectives and interpretations of the urban that have shaped the field of urban studies and help us to make sense of the complexity of the city, and the contradictions contained therein.  The course is organized around city ideals as imagined, created, and argued by great (and, depending on your views, not-so-great) urban thinkers.

Remote Learning Format

  • Weekly synchronous class discussion on Zoom on Tuesday evenings (lasting 1-2 hours)
  • Weekly asynchronous instructional content (recorded lectures, podcasts, modules, etc.) that you can work through at your own pace

Course Policies

Remote delivery of this course means that "the usual" course policies are now flexible.  Due dates, expectations, and requirements are all designed for resilience and adaptability.

Time and place of first class: See Canvas announcement in the first week of September with Zoom info and times.

Effort will be made to meet consistently between 5:30pm- 8pm each week, which allows for two hours of instruction with a short break.  Occasionally, class may spill into the hours of 8-9:20 p.m. (due to guest speaker schedules, and other special cases). These dates will be made clear in the final syllabus. 

 

Grading

  • Active participation 20%
  • Photo essay (1,200 words +photos) 20%
  • Unlearning urban thinking assignment 15%
  • Synchronous discussion facilitation leadership (group) 10%
  • Final essay (5,000 words) OR podcast creation (15 min. long) 35%

NOTES:

Office Hours: Done online through Zoom.  Book via www.calendly.com/leanne_roderick

 

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required Materials

All readings and course reserves will be available in digital format via SFU Library and online sources.


Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).