The course intends to provide theoretical and analytical skills to understand contemporary cities transformation, referring to Western cities and to urban areas in other geographical contexts. During the course students are expected to develop their capacity to critically interpret social, economic, and political urban phenomena using concepts and methodologies of urban geography. In particular, the use of conceptual instruments developed for urban studies will help students to acquire autonomy of judgement in interpreting transformation phenomena of cities in contemporary globalisation. Communication and debate skills will, in fact, be developed through analysis and discussion of case studies and examples that are meant to stimulate also the choice of appropriate analytical methodologies to study the urban issue.

Attending this course, the student is expected to acquire the knowledge useful to understand the relationship between development and transformation of a city and globalisation forces that influence such development and transformation. For the purposes of this course, globalisation forces are considered as a heterogeneous set of phenomena of different origins and scales that in variegated ways impact on – and often are transformed from - contemporary cities. In specific, to understand how cities react/adapt to globalisation, attention will be paid to - and abilities of the student will be oriented to - which mechanisms are at play: from resistance to globalisation to its government; from the surfacing of tensions and conflicts to that of opportunities. Such social and spatial phenomena will be understood and analysed using concepts and methodologies of social sciences that are applied in a spatial perspective. Furthermore, the student will need to acquire the ability to do a bibliographical review, in order to define a specific theoretical framework for the analysed phenomena, and to draft a methodology for the analysis of a specific case study that will, eventually, lead to writing of an essay.

No specific prerequisite is needed as the knowledge acquired in previous courses of the MSc constitutes a basis to attend this one.

The course focuses on some of the key issues of urban studies. Lessons will initially focus on concepts of urban and human geography (30% of the total duration of the course) and will built on those concepts to understand the following phenomena: • The relationship between economy and urban development (in specific regarding the transition from Fordism to post-Fordism and the diverse forms of knowledge economy); • Contested spatial forms of development in cities (e.g. socio-spatial fragmentation, segregation, gentrification); • Citizenship and sense of belonging in contemporary cities transformation (regarding the development of the society and its spatial organisation, emerging conflicts and opportunities). Once the first part of the course has been developed, students will be asked to actively take part to lessons in which essays will be presented and discussed (all related to the above mentioned topics), external experts could also be called to bring specific points of view, and the ability of students to understand and discuss contemporary socio-economic phenomena will be tested and strengthened.

The first part of the course, 1/3 more or less, is of ex cathedra lessons to introduce main concepts and first methodological skills that will be useful for the second part. The remaining lessons will see both ex cathedra lessons and collective debate on specific issues, experts’ seminars, and the discussion of the different essays written by the students.

The main reference for the course are the handbook by P. Knox and S. Pinch and the book by D. Mcneill (see details below). The handbook introduces the main concepts and field of analysis of urban geography, while the book provides a guide to explore contemporary global urbanisation processes. • Knox P., Pinch S. (2010), Urban Social Geography. An Introduction, Prentice Hall, London (6th edition); • Mcneill D. (2017), Global Cities and Urban Theory, Sage, London. The professor will provide further references, especially for those students that will choose to prepare a short essay for the exam.

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale;

Exams will be different for students that will regularly follow lessons and for those that will, or can, not attend. Regular students can choose between an oral exam or one made of two parts. The oral exam will consists of three questions, equally important to determine the final mark and for a time span of up to 40 minutes. Each question will include a short discussion with the professor (thus is will not be a question requiring a short answer, as in the case of a definition or a specific norm). Questions are related to the key concepts presented in the course syllabus: • The relationship between economy and urban development; • Contested spatial forms of development in cities; • Citizenship and sense of belonging in contemporary cities transformation. The oral exam divided in two parts will consist in: (1) one question regarding the short essay (written in Italian or English), whose topic - related to one of the three key concepts as described in the course syllabus - will be discussed with the professor in advance; (2) one question on one of the other two key concepts as described in the course syllabus (same rules about questions apply as in the case of the fully oral exam). The final mark will be based on the work for the essay and the answers to the question. Students that have not attended will prepare for an oral exam that will evaluate knowledge of, and competences on, the course topics. This oral exam will consist of five questions, for a time span of up to 50 minutes, equally important to determine the final mark. Each question will include a short discussion with the professor (thus is will not be a question requiring a short answer, as in the case of a definition or a specific norm). The questions will cover the key concepts described in the course syllabus.

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale;

Exams will be different for students that will regularly follow lessons and for those that will, or can, not attend. Regular students can choose between an oral exam or one made of two parts. The oral exam will consists of three questions, equally important to determine the final mark and for a time span of up to 40 minutes. Each question will include a short discussion with the professor (thus is will not be a question requiring a short answer, as in the case of a definition or a specific norm). Questions are related to the key concepts presented in the course syllabus: • The relationship between economy and urban development; • Contested spatial forms of development in cities; • Citizenship and sense of belonging in contemporary cities transformation. The oral exam divided in two parts will consist in: (1) one question regarding the short essay (written in Italian or English), whose topic - related to one of the three key concepts as described in the course syllabus - will be discussed with the professor in advance; (2) one question on one of the other two key concepts as described in the course syllabus (same rules about questions apply as in the case of the fully oral exam). The final mark will be based on the work for the essay and the answers to the question. Students that have not attended will prepare for an oral exam that will evaluate knowledge of, and competences on, the course topics. This oral exam will consist of five questions, for a time span of up to 50 minutes, equally important to determine the final mark. Each question will include a short discussion with the professor (thus is will not be a question requiring a short answer, as in the case of a definition or a specific norm). The questions will cover the key concepts described in the course syllabus.