OASV4100 Urban Governance Course description

Modern urban governments face challenges due to rapid changes in social, economic and environmental conditions. This course focuses on ideas, models and trends in the governance of urban areas, and students are provided with a set of analytical tools to study contemporary changes and transformations in governance practices and arrangements. These changes include, for example, new types of citizens participation, new types of delivery, emphasis on urban entrepreneurship, aims for sustainable development and smart city initiatives.

The course provides a cross- disciplinary perspective, including political science and sociology. In addition, we follow a comparative approach to urban governance, where urban areas both within and across national contexts are compared. The course will focus explicitly on national and international experiences from three policy areas where the governance challenges are particularly prominent: public spaces, housing, and infrastructure. The main focus are the processes and mechanisms that shape an urban area, as well as strategies and instruments in the governance of these areas.

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.

Individual course paper. The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of an individual course paper of 10-15 pages. Arial / Calibri 12pkt. line spacing: 1,5.

All, as long as the rules for source referencing are followed

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.

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.