Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the major approaches and key ideas of the professions of urban governance; urban planning and urban policy. Through a focus on contemporary theory, process-based understanding, and specific issues and examples, the course examines key trends and interventions and promotes critical reflection on urban development.

COURSE DETAILS:

Many of our most pressing environmental, social, and economic problems manifest themselves in cities.  The urban scale is where local governments design and implement plans and policies that address these problems.  Things like poverty, infrastructure, sustainability, shelter, basic services, and economic development are all subject to the priorities and plans of city governments.  This course adopts a critical approach that focuses on the intellectual history of urban planning and policy by placing it within theories of power, decolonization, economic geography, racial capitalism, place, and governance.  Drawing on historical and contemporary case studies in Vancouver, this course uses a place-based approach to explore policy issues in urban planning using ideas about sustainability, equity, accountability, and the right to the city. 

*Blended Format for Intersession 2026 note: Students will be required to attend field trips on the following dates and times.  All lecture content will be delivered online/asynchronously prior to the field trips.  The purpose of this format is to ensure excellent experiential learning opportunities for students while also allowing for adequate travel time to/from the field sites in consideration of student’s time and existing commitments.  Tutorials will be delivered in person every week. 

Tutorials will be held in person, and attendance is mandatory each week.  Additionally, we will meet together in-person for lecture/experiential learning three times during the intersession term in the following days:

Your mandatory course fee of $82 covers associated fees with participating in scheduled tours. Be aware that during the field trips there may be periods of walking on uneven ground and crossing roads with busy traffic. Appropriate clothing and footwear must be worn. Further details regarding safety, fieldwork protocols and field supplies will be discussed prior to the fieldwork. Students must at all times remain compliant with all student responsibilities, regulations, and policies as outlined in the current Academic Calendar, as well as relevant regulations and policies as outlined in the SFU Policy Gazette. This includes, but is not limited to, expected student conduct and the maintenance of appropriate medical insurance coverage. In order to participate in course activities, students must sign an Adult Acknowledgement of Risk form. Further details regarding safety will be discussed at the beginning of the semester. Walking over uneven ground for moderate periods of time will be required during the course of the field school. 

Note: There are no tutorials in the first week of class

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The course aims to provide you with the skills to become a more discerning and engaged citizen with respect to urban planning and policy.  It offers a wide range of theoretical perspectives, analytical tools, and ideological inclinations within the interdisciplinary terrain of urban planning.  The form of the course is designed to develop and refine undergraduate level writing and critical reading skills in the social sciences.  You will learn to read effectively by identifying core arguments and premises of each reading.  You will learn to synthesize analytical insights across the various required theoretical readings as well as apply them to non-academic insights or ‘case study material’ drawn from the media and real-world case studies.   

Upon successful completion of this course, you will: 

• Have formulated sufficient levels of understanding about the history, legal basis, traditions, ethical considerations, and major theories of planning 

• Recognize the legacy of past planning decisions on contemporary urban landscapes 

• Understand urbanization trends, by analyzing historical and contemporary trends globally 

• Identify factors influencing the spatial distribution of urban areas 

• Evaluate urban policies and their impact on spatial organization and community development 

• Critically assess the effectiveness of policy interventions in addressing urban challenges 

• Demonstrate an understanding of effective community engagement skills, and the role of community input in shaping urban policies and plans 

• Examine sustainability principles and their application for creating environmentally and socially sustainable urban environments 

• Recognize and critically evaluate socio-economic disparities within urban areas 

• Understand the role of governance structures and institutions in shaping urban policies 

• Effectively communicate research findings, policy recommendations, and spatial analyses through written reports, utilizing appropriate professional and academic conventions in communication and citation 

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All required material will be made available digitally from SFU library, as well as posted on the Canvas course page, as noted in syllabus.

REQUIRED READING NOTES: