OASV4100 Urban Governance Course description

Modern cities face challenges due to rapid changes in social, economic and environmental conditions. Emphasising urban entrepreneurship, cities set ambitious goals for sustainable development, which have social, environmental and economic aims. This course focuses on smart solutions to the challenges these trends represent for urban public administration, evoking national and international experiences from three policy areas where these challenges are particularly prominent: public spaces, housing, and infrastructure. The course provides a cross- disciplinary and comparative approach to urban governance. The main focus of this course are the processes and mechanisms shaping a city as well as, strategies and instruments in the governance of cities.

None.

A student who has completed his or her qualification has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence

Knowledge

The student has

• Thorough knowledge about processes and mechanisms that shape a city, including its atmosphere and its functioning
• Thorough knowledge about strategies and instruments to promote sustainable cities, emphasizing economic, social and environmental sustainability.
• Thorough knowledge about national and international approaches to coordinated urban governance, its challenges, benefits and solutions.
• Thorough knowledge about national and international approaches to democracy and participation in urban governance.
• Thorough knowledge about managing public space, housing, and infrastructure in cities and urban areas.

Skills

The student

• Can contribute to the development of urban strategies and implement measures to steer processes in the desired direction.
• Is able to assess the need for and use participatory measures in city policy formulation and implementation.
• Is able to interact effectively with market actors.
• Is able to understand, manage and critically discuss public space, housing and physical infrastructure in an urban context.

General competence

The student

• Can contribute to public sector innovation and reforms.

The course is organized in series of lectures, working groups and student presentations.

None.

The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of an individual course paper of 10-15 pages.

All.

A to F.

The course paper is assessed by an internal and an external examiner. The external examiner will grade a random sample consisting of approx. 25 per cent of the written exams The grades given for this sample provide a basis for the internal examiner's assessment. The external examiner will also grade papers where there is doubt about giving a grade of pass.