Inclusive Cities? Theories and Concepts

Course goals

Content

Contents

“Cities should be inclusive, open and accessible for everyone. Irrespective of background, everyone should have equal opportunities to live, work, consume, participate, and spend leisure time in the city”. This is a statement that you may have heard many times or even voiced yourself. You may also have experienced or witnessed that cities are not always as inclusive as they could be. In this course, the aim is to find answers to the questions 1) what makes cities ‘inclusive’ or ‘exclusive’ and 2) what are the societal implications of urban in- and exclusiveness? We will formulate answers to these questions by discussing key theories and concepts developed by a variety thinkers, from positivist to postmodern, in different social, economic, cultural and historical contexts. In so doing, we will learn to understand that the answers to the questions may differ depending on the different theoretical perspectives.

Before you can form a well-considered opinion about and propose potential solutions for societal problems and challenges related with urban in- and exclusiveness – which you will do in later courses of the ‘Inclusive Cities’ track –, you should be able to understand and explain what is going on. In this course, therefore, you will learn about key theories and concepts that will help to understand what in- and exclusiveness means in various urban settings, how processes of in- and exclusion work, and what socio-spatial conditions are associated with in- and exclusion. In addition, theories and concepts are discussed to explain how patterns of (in)equality emerge and what implications of both urban in- and exclusiveness and (in)equalities are for various social groups at different spatial scales.

The course begins by discussing a key theory for creating 'inclusive' cities (the Right to the City) before questioning what we understand to be 'urban' (Planetary Urbanisation). To analyse the interplay between inclusion/exclusion, the course will zoom in on processes of in- and exclusion and patterns of (in-)equality related to spatial accessibility and social participation in particular. We will then explore the issue of precarious cities to examine contemporary issues around work, housing, transport and safety, before engaging with feminist and postcolonial critical engagement in urban geography. These theories offer a different perspective, enabling a diverse and critical perspective on inclusivity and cities.

During the course, students will learn to critically discuss, apply and evaluate key theories and concepts. This will provide them with theoretical perspectives and skills that lay the foundation for the rest of the Inclusive Cities track.  

Contribution of course to specific learning trajectories:

• Learning trajectory on writing & argumentation;
• Learning trajectory on concepts.