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At the beginning of the 21st century, more than half the world’s population live in cities. Issues about governance, intensification of social relationships, the impact of globalisation, and the way green spaces are utilised become ever more pressing concerns. The tracks on this album explore some of the challenges faced across the world as citizens and administrators adapt to ever increasing pressures on city spaces and resources. The material forms part of the course DD304, Understanding Cities.
By: The OpenLearn team (The Open University,)
- Duration 2 hours
- Updated Tuesday 13th April 2010
- Posted under Sociology
Track 1: Understanding Cities
A short introduction to this album.
© The Open University 2008
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Tracks in this podcast:
Track | Title | Description |
---|---|---|
1 | Understanding Cities | A short introduction to this album. Play now Understanding Cities |
2 | Nature Spaces | An allotment in Handsworth, Birmingham as an example of a nature space. Allotment holders talk about the ecological, sociological and community benefits of allotments. Play now Nature Spaces |
3 | Shared Spaces | Some problems that can ----- from differing viewpoints emerging in a shared community space, and possible threats to such spaces. Play now Shared Spaces |
4 | Nature Formations | Implications for social justice and the future sustainability of city nature formations, in the context of continuing urban densification. Play now Nature Formations |
5 | New Ideas | Cities as a cultural crucible with nature spaces as an integral part. The potential for allotments as small-scale production centres. The wider implications of nature spaces and their representative values. Play now New Ideas |
6 | Networking | The effects of globalization trends on cities and the relevance and position of entrepreneurship. What do cities have to do to survive? Play now Networking |
7 | Humanism and cities | The impacts of making the city more competitive, and whether this detracts from cities as a purely human space. Cities as moving beyond purely economic environments. Play now Humanism and cities |
8 | Encounter or Containment? | The city as a non-corporate entity - the political possibilities inherent in city spaces. The city can be a politically strategic space, and how otherwise powerless groups can gain attention. Play now Encounter or Containment? |
9 | Unruliness and cities | The relationship of order and disorder in the city, and the intensification of social relationships in cities. Is such disorder positive or negative? Play now Unruliness and cities |
10 | Power Relations | Is the spacial order of cities a reaction against disorder? The suburbs as a social response to the city environment, the importance of connections in the city. Play now Power Relations |
11 | Order and Disorder | The problem of segregated spaces and exclusional development in relation to power structures in cities. Play now Order and Disorder |
12 | Government and Governance | The distinction between government and governance as a response to the growth of cities. Changing concerns and structures. Play now Government and Governance |
13 | Governance and Privatisation | The promotion of private sector governance in developing countries, and the problems that can ----- with communities. Shared agendas as a possible solution. Play now Governance and Privatisation |
14 | Growth Agendas | The development of brownfields sites in terms of growth, using East London as an example,. The victims of such development and the potential cultural and social loss. Play now Growth Agendas |
15 | Divergent Agendas | How are agendas defined, and what is lost in a shift to governance over government? The possibilities for democratic accountability and the problems of local councils. Play now Divergent Agendas |
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Publication details
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Originally published: Tuesday, 13th April 2010
Copyright information
- Body text - Content : Copyright The Open University
- Audio/Video tracks: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 The Open University 2008
- Image 'Understanding Cities' - Copyright: The Open University 2008
- Image 'This is a map of the world containing diverse people' - Copyright free: Boarding1now for Dreamstime
- Image 'Understanding early years environments and children’s spaces (Chinese)' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Understanding early years environments and children’s spaces' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Sign on roof of bingo hall' - By Chitrapa (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Trotter's van from Only Fools and Horses' - By Goldfinger at sr.wikipedia [CC-BY-3.0-rs], from Wikimedia Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Unison rally in Oxford' - Photo by Kaihsu Tai / CC BY-SA 3.0 under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Reading evidence' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Ludlow 1 ' - By RachelC via Flickr under Creative Commons license under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Removal men at work' - SomeDriftwood under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license
- Image 'Graffito on a wall: I saw you on Tinder' - @markheybo under Creative Commons BY 4.0 license
- Image 'Caster Semenya' -
José Goulão under CC-BY-NC-ND licence
under Creative-Commons license - Image 'Jimmy Savile' - William Starkey / Ian Macman under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license
- Image 'Painting of bodies by Elizabeth Silva' - Copyright: Elizabeth Silva
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Publication details
-
Originally published: Tuesday, 13th April 2010
Copyright information
- Body text - Content: Copyright The Open University
- Audio/Video tracks: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 The Open University 2008
- Image 'Understanding Cities' - Copyright: The Open University 2008
- Image 'This is a map of the world containing diverse people' - Copyright free: Boarding1now for Dreamstime
- Image 'Understanding early years environments and children’s spaces (Chinese)' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Understanding early years environments and children’s spaces' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Sign on roof of bingo hall' - By Chitrapa (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Trotter's van from Only Fools and Horses' - By Goldfinger at sr.wikipedia [CC-BY-3.0-rs], from Wikimedia Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Unison rally in Oxford' - Photo by Kaihsu Tai / CC BY-SA 3.0 under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Reading evidence' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Ludlow 1 ' - By RachelC via Flickr under Creative Commons license under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Removal men at work' - SomeDriftwood under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license
- Image 'Graffito on a wall: I saw you on Tinder' - @markheybo under Creative Commons BY 4.0 license
- Image 'Caster Semenya' -
José Goulão under CC-BY-NC-ND licence
under Creative-Commons license - Image 'Jimmy Savile' - William Starkey / Ian Macman under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license
- Image 'Painting of bodies by Elizabeth Silva' - Copyright: Elizabeth Silva
- Image 'Terraced houses in Preston, Lancs' - Betty Longbottom [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Children jumping' - under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'laurie taylor question 7 image' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
- Image 'Rachida Dati' -
by Ma Gali under CC-BY-NC-ND licence
under Creative-Commons license - Image 'Parking meter in Chinatown, Liverpool' - Copyright:
Ewan-M under CC-BY-NC-ND licence
- Image 'Screenshot of the animation - Witnessing War and Conflict Through a Smartphone Lens' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
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