URSP 681 International Urban Policy and Planning
With globalization, nations as well as their cities are becoming increasingly interdependent, affected by a common set of forces such as international trade, foreign investment, and international migration. Best planning practices from developing countries are being used in some western industrialized countries, and vice versa. There also appears to be a convergence of urban problems faced by cities in different world regions, such as persistent unemployment, deteriorating urban environment, increasing social stress, and institutional weaknesses.
Building on the central themes of globalization and learning from best practices, this course will offer a comparative analysis of planning practices around the world. It will cover such topics as local responses to globalization, national government's role in urbanization, regional development planning, competitive urban economic policies, integrated transportation and land use planning, sustainable urban development, urban infrastructure and shelter delivery, and urban governance. It draws planning solutions from both developing and industrialized countries.
This course will try to link national differences by explicitly comparing best practices against national and local circumstances. You are encouraged to bring to class for discussion your own working and educational experience from different countries. At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Become familiar with current discussions about economic globalization,
- Understand the major implications of global economic integration for cities,
- Become familiar with critical urban and planning issues transcending national boundaries
- Appreciate the need to understand local circumstances in transferring best planning practices across countries and cities, and
- Become familiar with major resources for international research and become familiar with key international institutions.
URSP 681 Syllabus (Spring 2005)