| Course information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Transversal deepening module |
| Timeline | March |
| Number of ECTS | 5 ECTS |
| Coordinators | Dr Paula Nagler and Dr Paul Rabé |
| Lecturers | Dr Paula Nagler, Dr Anitra Baliga, Dr Paul Rabé and Dr David Dodman |
| Methodology | Lectures, workshops |
Course description
The course critically examines inequality and justice from multiple perspectives, exploring why inequalities emerge, how these disparities have developed over time, and the mechanisms that produce and sustain them. Focusing on urban contexts, the course examines how economic, spatial, institutional, and environmental processes shape the distribution of opportunities and how these patterns raise broader questions about justice.
The course begins by introducing the concepts of inequality and justice and how they relate to urban development. Next, it examines how inequality is measured, introducing monetary and non-monetary indicators that capture disparities in income, wealth, and life opportunities. The course continues by exploring how the spatial structure of cities shapes unequal outcomes and determines who benefits from opportunities. It then examines economic drivers of inequality, focusing on how technological change and shifting labour markets affect employment opportunities and contribute to growing disparities. The course also considers the role of institutions and governance in distributing power and resources, showing how rules and policies shape patterns of inequality and influence possibilities for more just outcomes.
The final part of the course extends this discussion to sustainability and climate change as important dimensions of inequality and justice. It explores how environmental challenges and climate risks are unevenly distributed between people and places, why some groups are more exposed and vulnerable than others, and how sustainability transitions raise important questions about fairness, responsibility, and inclusion.
Together, these perspectives provide an overview of inequality and justice in cities, showing how unequal outcomes are produced and how they are shaped by economic, spatial, institutional, and environmental processes.
Learning objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Explain key concepts and measures of urban inequality and justice
- Analyze how the spatial structure of cities shapes urban disparities
- Assess how technological change and labor market transformations affect urban inequality
- Evaluate how institutions, governance, and policy shape the distribution of power and resources in cities
- Examine the distributional consequences of climate change, sustainability transitions, and policy responses in cities
- Develop policy recommendations to reduce urban inequality and promote urban justice
Course content
This course is organized around six topics and guiding questions:
- Inequality & Justice: How are inequality and justice defined and measured?
- Urban Spatial Structure: How does space create and reinforce inequality?
- Technology & Labor Markets: How does technological change reshape employment and inequality?
- Institutions, Governance & Policy: How do institutions, governance, and policy shape the distribution of power, resources, and opportunities?
- Urban Sustainability: How does business-as-usual development impact sustainability in environmental, social and economic dimensions, and who gains and loses?
- Climate Change: How do different populations and places cope with climate change, and to what extent are adaptation and mitigation measures able to address inequities?