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Unit of study_

DAAE2012: Urbanism and the Global South

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study explores urbanism transnationally with a focus on the Global South cities to expose students to the accelerating rate of urbanisation in fundamentally different urban settings. It unpacks complexities of urbanism specific to the Global South including but not limited to enormous rate of urban transformation, massive infrastructure gaps, ubiquitous informality, confronting inequalities, and exponatial rate of climate change. In doing so, the unit sheds light on the historic, socio-economic, and geo-political setting behind the complexity of urban challenges and opportunities in unfamiliar geographies. This will provide students with provocative and productive urban frameworks for all cities, informed by an ability to transfer learnings from the Global South to the local context and unpack some of the growing concerns about widening inequities, infrastructure lags and others.

Unit details and rules

Unit code DAAE2012
Academic unit Urban and Regional Planning and Policy
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

DAAE1002

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Deepti Prasad, deepti.prasad@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Deepti Prasad, deepti.prasad@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Deepti Prasad, deepti.prasad@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Presentation Final Presentations for AT1
Final Presentation
10% Week 08
Due date: 20 Sep 2023 at 17:00
10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO2
Assignment Assessment Task 1 (AT1)
Case Study Report
20% Week 08
Due date: 20 Sep 2023 at 17:00
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6
Presentation Final Presentations for AT2
Final Presentation
10% Week 13
Due date: 01 Nov 2023 at 17:00
15 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Assessment Task 2 (AT2)
Final Report
60% Week 13
Due date: 01 Nov 2023 at 17:00
5000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Assessment summary

  • Assessment Task 1 (AT1)The identification and brief analysis of a Global South case study is undertaken through the first seven weeks of the course and collated into a short ‘Case Study Report’. AT1 requires you to analyse your case study’s historical, socio-economic, and geopolitical setting. In doing so, you examine the complexities of urbanism specific to a Global South context. In the case study, you will critically consider the colonial cartographies, post-colonial realities, and upcoming urban challenges such as infrastructure lags, etc. AT1 is weighted 30% of the course mark (10% final presentation and 20% case study report).
  • Assessment Task 2 (AT2)Based on the complex understanding developed in AT1, you will analyse the critical lenses, in further detail, for your Global South case study and pick an extra specific urbanism lens (of your preference – in line with the unit’s teaching) for thorough research, documented in the ‘Final Report’. AT2 requires you to address the urban complexities identified at the semester’s outset within your case study through the lenses of physical and social infrastructure, informality, and climate change that address the complexities of urbanism specific to the Global South. AT2 is weighted 70% of the course mark (10% final presentation and 60% final report).

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name Mark range Description
High Distinction 85 - 100 Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/orexceptional skill.
Distinction 75 - 84 Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.
Credit 65 - 74 Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes assessed.
Pass 50 - 64 Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed.
Fail 0 - 49 Work that does not demonstrate satisfactory achievement of one or more of the
learning outcomes assessed.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Lecture 1: Overall Introduction to Global South Cities Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 02 Lecture 2: Colonial Cartographies Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 03 Lecture 3: Post-Colonial Realities Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Lecture 4: Physical Infrastructure Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 05 Guest Lecture 1 Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 06 Guest Lecture 2 Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 Lecture 5: Social Infrastructure Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Final Presentations for AT1 + Case Study Report Submission Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 09 Lecture 6: Informality (Theory and Housing) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Lecture 7: Informality (Economies) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Lecture 8: Climate Change (The Science and the Politics) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Lecture 9: Climate Change (Regional Variations) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 13 Final Presentations for AT2 + Final Report Submission Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library’s reading list system Leganto, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of urbanism globally with reference to the North/South divide and its colonial roots and post-colonial realities.
  • LO2. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of urbanism specific to the Global South, including but not limited to the enormous rate of urban transformation and density, massive infrastructure gaps, ubiquitous informality, confronting inequalities and others.
  • LO3. Demonstrate independent and critical thinking to unpack the upcoming urban challenges specific to the Global South, including but not limited to devastating climate change; (climate and terrorism-related), refugee crises, and others.
  • LO4. Demonstrate capacity with critical thinking to unpack the historical, socio-economic, and geopolitical setting behind the complexity of urban challenges and opportunities in unfamiliar geographies.
  • LO5. Demonstrate an ability to transfer learnings from the Global South to the local context and unpack some of the growing concerns about widening inequities, infrastructure lags and others.
  • LO6. Demonstrate an ability to – individually and collaboratively – develop critical professional documents and effectively communicate the complexities of urbanism at an international level.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This Unit is being offered for the second time. Some changes have been made in the order of weekly activities, mid-point assessments are removed, and assessment weightage is modified. All these changes are done after considering the USS feedback.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.