Summer 2021 - GEOG 364 D100

Cities and Crisis (4)

Class Number: 1223

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Aug 9, 2021: Mon, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Aug 16, 2021
    Mon, 11:59–11:59 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Melora Koepke
    mkoepke@sfu.ca
    Skype: melora.koepke
    Office Hours: Office Hours: Instructor and TA will be available one hour/week on Zoom or by appointment.
  • Prerequisites:

    At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination of urban geographies of crisis, concentrating on what crisis is, what it is used for, how it is differentially experienced, and how it is distributed unevenly. Case studies of environmental, economic, social, and political crises are the main focus. The course concludes by addressing the future(s) of cities.

COURSE DETAILS:

COURSE DETAILS

How do cities mitigate crisis? How does crisis, in turn, shape cities? As French & Leyshon (week 5) remind us, “crises are opportunities to impose new ideas and practices”. In this course, we will investigate urban crises as forces that shape cities, that bring emergencies and challenges but also transformative change. Over the course of the semester, we will draw from a wide range of materials to explore the effects of crises on cities  and urban life.

We begin with the 5 “W’s” of a good story – the what, where, when, why and who of urban crisis – across a range of examples from cities around the world – and we will, of course, be called to consider the current pandemic and the way it shapes our individual and collective urban lives. We will also consider the histories and geographies of urban crises that have brought us to our present “here and now”. In the second part of the course, we will draw from five specific examples of interconnected urban crises - economic, housing, drug, racial and environmental crises - and will explore how these have manifested in cities across the world.

COURSE DELIVERY FOR SUMMER 2021

The course will be embedded on CANVAS.

Lectures will be synchronous and asynchronous. The first and last week of Lecture will be delivered synchronously via Zoom (the session will be recorded and uploaded for students who cannot attend). Weekly asynchronous lectures (~40-60 mins/week) will be uploaded to Youtube as video/audio files prior to lecture period each week.

Most weeks, I will also hold occasional optional synchronous discussions (TBA at the beginning of the week) during the second hour of lecture period. Bring your Qs, your As, your eyes and ears to engage remotely but synchronously with myself, your classmates and the materials.

Tutorials are synchronous and will be conducted via moderated discussions and group exercises on Zoom. There will also  be an option for students to participate in tutorial discussions asynchronously according to their timezones/schedules if they cannot attend.  

There will be no tutorials in the first week of class.

Grading

  • • Participation (Tutorial participation; engagement with moderated discussions; peer review) 20%
  • • Midterm (take-home essay question) 10%
  • • Short Assignments (note: these are semi-public, to be shared with your tutorial group for peer review) 35% total
  • 1) Self-location map / text 5%
  • 2) Op/Ed 15%
  • 3) Film review 15%
  • • Crisis Whitepaper (group project) 15%
  • • Final Project OR Final Exam (take-home) 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Course materials will consist of academic articles, book chapters, media articles and blog posts, podcasts, short and feature length documentaries that will be available on CANVAS or via the SFU Library course reserves.

REQUIRED READING
Materials will be posted in Canvas and available from the library course reserves.


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 SUMMER 2021

Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses.  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).