Transformations and urban politics

Teacher(s)

Lenel Emmanuelle;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Based on the notion that there is an intrinsic link between society and space and that the two must be considered together, the objectives of the course are: 1. To provide an overview of the major urban transformations from the origins of the city until today according to the development of capitalism; 2. To understand the fabric of space as a support for action, an instrument of action and a social product; 3. To define some of the challenges of contemporary urban policies.

Content

The course takes a social science approach to analyzing the "urban phenomenon", its evolution and the ways in which public authorities are tackling major contemporary issues. It draws mainly on sociology, with contributions from history (to understand the major urban revolutions), political science (to decipher the logic of public action applied to the urban environment) and urban planning (to characterize forms of territorial organization). It is divided into two main sections: 
1. The urban phenomenon: history and fundamental dynamics. This section looks at the 3 major "urban revolutions" in relation to the socio-economic changes that underpin them. It also presents the fundamental contributions of a number of classic (Weber, Tönnies, Simmel, Chicago Tradition) and more contemporary (Lefèbvre and Sassen in particular) authors to our understanding of the "urban fact". 
2. Issues and mechanisms of contemporary urban policies. Using a critical perspective and concrete case studies from Brussels, Europe and the rest of the world, this section presents some of the issues at stake in contemporary urban policies (mobility, soscio-spatial segregation, access to public space, housing crisis, as well as climate challengeand durability) and the main public responses to them.

Teaching methods

Teaching takes place in the form of lecture sessions. It is nevertheless designed to be dynamic and involving. Students will be asked to take part in an external activity linked to the course, to be chosen from a range of proposals. They will have to mobilize the notions they have seen in order to take an analytical look at its content. 
A syllabus will be provided to students during the semester. As it is not exhaustive, students are required to take careful notes. Powerpoint material for oral presentations will be sent out no later than the day before the class (cf. Moodle).

Evaluation methods

Student learning in this course is assessed through a written exam administered during the exam period.
The exam consists of open-ended questions designed to evaluate not only students’ knowledge of the course contents but also their ability to use the analytical tools presented to apply an analytical perspective to the external activity in which they have participated.

Bibliography

Bibliographie complète sur le Moodle du cours.

Teaching materials

• Syllabus de Mutations et politiques urbaines 2026-2027

Faculty or entity

> ESPB