Urban Development in Conflict Cities: Planning Challenges and Policy Innovations

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	STUDENT DISCUSSION	KEY DATES
1	First Day of Class and Introduction to The Urban Development In Conflict Cities: An introduction to conflict and cities in conflict.		Topics selection for in-class review of material
2	Development Challenges in Conflict Zones: The relationship between national conflict and cities, and vice-versa. Is the lack-of development and conflict two related issues?		Final student selection of a conflict city for research
3	Development Challenges in Conflict Zones (cont.)	Student-led discussion	Deadline of student selection of city for assignment
4	Violent Conflict Multiple Definitions: This section looks at the varied categories of violence, the way a conflict is defined, and prescribed paths of action that happen at policy and project scales.
5	Violent Conflict Multiple Definitions (cont.)	Student-led discussion
6	Military Perspective: Today more than ever wars are fought in cities. Here we explore how military literature sees the role of cities in conflict. Moreover, why is that important for cities and planning?
7	Military Perspective (cont.)	Student-led discussion
8	Re-defining Urban Warfare		Guest lecturer: Dr. Annette Idler, Director of Studies, The Changing Character of War Programme, Pembroke College and Research Associate at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
9	Slum Wars: This class explores the intersection between urban informality (poverty in cities) and conflict (violent conflict related to specific territories). It focuses on a perspective of urbanization as a subversive act.
10	Description of The Conditions of Conflict in The Selected City		Paper, Part 1 due with in-class presentations
11	Gender and Conflict: Here we explore gender as a motivation of conflict and also new perspectives brought by a gendered research of the conflict.
12	Gender and Conflict (cont.)	Student-led discussion
13	Space and Urban Conflict: Defensible space-to-space syntax and space policy of urban conflict. Urban form and its relationship with conflict.
14	Space and Urban Conflict (cont.)	Student-led discussion
15	Mapping Conflict: How we map conflict narrows the ways that we understand it, different perspectives in mapping violence and conflict. Policy and research implications.		Guest lecturer: Matthew R. McNabb, Chief Executive Officer, First Mile Geo
16	Mapping Conflict (cont.)	Student-led discussion
17	Gangs: A particular form of urban violence, gangs are key to understanding the role of non-state armed groups (NSAG) in cities.
18	Gangs (cont.)	Student-led discussion
19	Weak States and Conflict—The NSAG Perspective: When alternative institutions diminish the state’s monopoly of violence, NSAGs become para–state organizations that fill those voids left by the state, a condition some call “new violence”. What is the role of these organizations on the world of “megacities” in “weak states”?
20	Weak States and Conflict—The NSAG Perspective (cont.)	Student-led discussion
21	Preliminary in-class presentations of Paper, Part 2
22	Peace Process and Reconciliation: Analyzing the challenges of the road to peace. Case studies presenting examples of such complex processes.
23	Peace Process and Reconciliation (cont.)	Student-led discussion
24	Wrapping up		Paper, Part 2 due with in-class presentations
25	Last class		Final presentations of papers continued