Social Inequality in the City, Diversity and Design

This course takes a socio-spatial view on social inequality, diversity and community-building, and how these phenomena impact on neighbourhoods and cities, but also on individual people. The focus is on the interchange between the built environment, population composition and residential behaviour. On a theoretical and empirical level, the course will address various forms of neighbourhood change over time, in particular socio-spatial segregation and urban regeneration, and their implications for neighbourhoods and individuals.

Moving on to policy and design, the course addressses various urban policies and strategies addressing social inequality with an explicit place-based diversity component. Special attention will be devoted to the roles of relevant actors in these contexts. In doing so, the course tackles the question to what extent urban policies and strategies can contribute to absorbing negatively perceived outcomes of diversity and strengthen its perceived benefits.

The acquired knowledge will be applied to a real life case study. In a Design Assignment, interdisiplinary groups of students will create strategic design proposals for a (site within a) neighbourhood which suffers from negative implications of social inequality and diversity, and for which clever solutions must be created. The design approach focuses on strategies and socio-physical interventions rather than architectural/urban design in a narrow sense. The Design Assignment will be conducted in co-operation with the local authorities, welfare workers, housing associations and other stakeholders connected to the chosen site.

Both instructor and peer feedback will be provided on a weekly basis on students Design Assignment deliverables and the final report. The summative assessment is based on two elements:

1. The Design Assignment report (group work, 60% of final grade);

2. A written exam, based on the lectures, literature and other acquired insights (open questions: individual work, 40% of final grade).

Each assessment element should be passed with a minimum grade of 5.8 before the final grade will be determined.

If students fail to achieve the pass mark of 5.8 for the Design Assignment, they have a repair opportunity. They must resubmit an improved version of the Design Assignment report within four weeks from the last work day of quarter 3. In this case, the maximum score will be sufficient, meaning that the students pass this course.

The maximum marking period is 10 working days.