GEOG 2135 - Urban Futures
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2025
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code GEOG 2135 Course Urban Futures Coordinating Unit Geography, Environment and Population Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 4 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study Assessment Participation and exercises, Group assignment, Major assignment or take-home exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Douglas Bardsley
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
Please check Course Planner for 2019 Lecture and SGD times and locations
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
Knowledge- Demonstrated understanding of key theories of urbanisation and urban change.
- Demonstrated understanding of concepts and debates in urban studies.
- Key issues facing Australian and selected overseas cities.
- Critical understanding of current urban policies and programs.
Skills- Locate, synthesise and critically engage with urban research.
- Ability to identify, locate and analyse primary data sources.
- High level written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work constructively in large and small groups.
- Construct and communicate logical and appropriately supported arguments.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1,2,3,4 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1,2,3,4 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
7,8,9 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
There are no required text books for this course. The course makes considerable use of recently published journal articles.
All required reading will be available in MyUni.Recommended Resources
Recommended Resources
Students are encouraged to make use of the following books – all are available in the Barr
Gottdiener, M., Budd, L., and Lehtovuori, P. (2016). Key Concepts in Urban Studies. Los Angeles: SAGE
Harding, A., Blokland, T. (2014). Urban Theory: A critical introduction to power, cities and urbanism in the 21st century. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Seto, K., Solecki, W., and Griffith, C. (2016). The Routledge Handbook of Urbanization and Global Environmental Change. London: Routldege.
Short., JR. (2014). Urban theory: A critical assessment. London: Palgrave Macmillan Education.
Key Journals
Australian Geographer Cities
City Environment & Urbanization
Health and Place Housing Policy Debate
Housing Studies International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Journal of Urban Affairs Local Environment
Professional Geographer Progress in Human Geography
Social and Cultural Geography Sustainable Cities and Society
Urban Ecosystems Urban Geography
Urban Policy and Research Urban Studies
Online Learning
This course makes extensive use of MyUni for communication and delivery of course materials.
All online lectures, and required SGD reading and resources will be made available on MyUni.
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Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Primary modes of learning in this course will be:
- On-line and face-to-face lectures
- Small Group Discovery Experience
- Assignment preparation
- Peer engagement
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
While the relative proportion of contact and non-contact time may vary from course to course, a full-time student should expect to spend, on average, about 44 hours per week on her/his studies during teaching periods.
This course, will require an average of 12 hours of work per week including Lectures and Small Group Discovery contact time. Assignments, reading and SGD preparation have been calculated on this basis.Learning Activities Summary
This information is a guide only and will be subject to change. SGD's will relate to the previous week's lecture materials
Week Lecture Topic SGD
1 Introduction and overview of urban geography No session
2 Power: theorising urbanisation and urban change No Session
3 Cities and economic change Power and the Urbanisation
4 Global cities or Globalising Cities City branding and event based growth
5 Housing tenure: Producing the 'dream' Governing housing and alternative tenures
6 Household change and housing diversity Future Housing: Housing Choice
Mid-semester break
7 Mobility and transport: Explaining automobility Governing urban mobility
8 Sustainable transport Impacts and implications of autonomous vehicles
9 Environmental consequences of urban life Greening Cities
10 Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation Forming environmental subjectivities
11 Urban governance and Planning Engaging communities
12 City futures Course summary and exam revision -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
No information currently available.
Assessment Related Requirements
Students must complete and submit all components of assessment. Students who do not submit and complete all components of assessment will be given a fail grade for the course.
Students must attend all tutorials and the field trip. Students will only be excused from attending one tutorial on medical or compassionate grounds (the latter does not include work commitments). Students unable to attend a tutorial must notify the tutor by email prior to the session and provide a medical certificate/statement for compassionate grounds when they return to class. Students who do not attend all tutorials and do not provide reasonable grounds (medical/ compassionate) for non attendance will automatically fail the participation component of the course.Assessment Detail
Participation, SGD preparation and Quizzes: 30%
Essay: 30%
Major Assignment (Literature Review) or Take Home Exam: 40%
Submission
Submission details will be outlined in the assignment tasks sheets and these task sheets will be made available on MyUni at the beginning of Semester 1.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
This course was previously run in 2018 and students enjoyed the range of topics covered, the lively discussions and the variety and the choice of assessment. 2018 SELTs are not available but feedback from previous years has led to a shift from all online lectures to a combination of online and face-to-face lectures. Moving from tutorial to small group discovery sessions.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
