In this essay you will choose a modern urban problem and discuss the details of how it has unfolded in your chosen city. For instance, we look at problems left over from imperial planning; problems with industrialization and the environment; problems of social, cultural, and political inclusion; and problems of capitalism. Feel free to consult with me about other problems you might want to consider.
Assignment Objective
In your previous assignments you chose a city and explained the reasoning undergirding your choice. Then, you chose three eras of that city’s history and discussed those eras through the lens of three areas of urban studies. The next step is to go beyond the reflective and historical descriptive exercises in the previous assignments, to a more analytical, solutions-oriented examination. In this third assignment, you will be investigating an urban problem/issue in your chosen city. You will (1) identify and describe a problem or issue (or two interconnected issues), (2) identify a solution that has been enacted or proposed to that issue(s) in your city, (3) identify a solution that has been enacted or proposed to that issue(s) in a different country.
Assignment Description
Write an essay that addresses the three points above: (1) issue(s) in your city, (2) solution in your city, (3) solution from another country.
Issue (or Two Interconnected Issues) in Your City.
You might choose an issue or problem that arose from your examination of the history of your city such as issues with housing, transportation, infrastructure, public space, etc. Or, you might think about some of the problems that are discussed in lectures such as issues of imperial planning; problems with industrialization and the environment; problems of social, cultural, and political inclusion; and problems of capitalism. However, you need to make sure that it is an issue that your city is currently dealing with/trying to address. Some guiding questions for this section include:
What is the problem or issue?
How has this problem uniquely manifested in your city? Is the problem effected by the unique context of your city?
How has this problem evolved over time in your city? Has it taken different forms in different eras?
Why has this problem arisen/continued in your city?
Are there forces in the city that are contributing to the problem, ensuring it continues, ignoring it, etc.?
Is the problem affecting specific populations? Why might that be?
Etc.
Solution that Has Been Enacted or Proposed in Your City.
Discuss a solution that has either already been enacted or proposed to this issue in your city. This can be a solution from any sector/group such as grassroots/community-based groups, some organization/institution in the public sector (planners, city councils, and other public officials), some private organization (architectural firms, private design or planning firms, corporations, etc.), nonprofit organizations (foundations and other non-governmental organizations), etc. Just make sure it is a recent intervention (1990s to the present). Guiding questions include:
What is the solution?
Who all is involved in its proposal or implementation? Who funds it? Who enacts it?
What are the specifics of the intervention?
How does it uniquely address the issue(s) you outlined above?
Does it involve community engagement or participation? What does that process look like?
What are the positive (successes) and negative (downfalls/failures) aspects of the intervention?
Etc.
Solution that Has Been Enacted or Proposed in a Different Country.
Discuss a solution that has either already been enacted or proposed to this issue in a different country. Like the previous section, this can be a solution from any sector/group such as grassroots/community-based groups, some organization/institution in the public sector (planners, city councils, and other public officials), some private organization (architectural firms, private design or planning firms, corporations, etc.), nonprofit organizations (foundations and other non-governmental organizations), etc. Just make sure it is a recent intervention (1990s to the present). Guiding questions are the same as the previous section and include:
What is the solution?
Who all is involved in its proposal or implementation? Who funds it? Who enacts it?
What are the specifics of the intervention?
How does it uniquely address the issue(s) you outlined above?
Does it involve community engagement or participation? What does that process look like?
What are the positive (successes) and negative (downfalls/failures) aspects of the intervention?
Etc.
In the conclusion:
Summarize what has been said AND
End with a short discussion of either (a) how your city could learn from/change its approach based on the solution from the other country, OR (b) why you think the intervention in your city is better than the intervention in the other country.
Guidelines
4-5 double-spaced pages (1000-1250 words)
Times New Roman, 12 point text, with 1” margins on all sides
Should have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion
Keep introduction and conclusion short and to the point
Use subheadings to separate your 3 topics of the paper
You can use whatever sources you want, but:
Include at least three academic book chapters or articles (even if you do not cite them)
Include a bibliography
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