BA Geography / Course details

With the ubiquitous use of sensors, mobile devices, and artificial intelligence, digital technologies are playing an increasing role in transforming the economic, social, and political realms of urban spaces. While technologies can enhance connectivity and access to public services, they can also encroach on privacy, threaten security, and fuel inequality. The complex implications of digital technologies on urban life, economy, and governance thus require new theories and research methods.

The goal of this module is twofold. First, this module offers insights into the relationship between digital technologies and the city by engaging with ‘smart city,’ ‘surveillance,’ ‘big data,’ and a few other concepts. A range of case studies will be provided to demonstrate the agendas of various technologies, their effects on the material condition and organization of cities, and to evaluate the promises (and failures) of the “technological fix” with respect to social justice and equality. Second, this module introduces the opportunities of digital research in urban studies by offering hands-on experience in using basic Python and data analysis skills to extract and interpret data from social media platforms. Digital skills can be used toward dissertation research or projects at work, as they are increasingly important nowadays since the outbreak of covid-19 when on-site data collection becomes difficult, if not impossible. Overall, this module a critical appraisal of the changes, brought about by digital technologies, in urban environments, processes, and practices. No prior knowledge is required.
 

• foster a comprehension of the intersection of digital geographies and urban studies
• offer insights into how digital technologies have shaped urban economy, life and governance 
• enable students to recognise the actors and forces that have contributed to the rapidly changing urban world in the digital age 
• Facilitate students’ use and development of digital literacy and research skills
   

• the digital turn in geography
• python basics
• social media research
• data and datafication
• platform urbanism
• smart cities
• digitalisation and the housing crisis
• urban artificial intelligence 
• challenges and opportunities of digital cities

This course will be delivered through 10 weekly two-hour lectures and 10 weekly one-hour seminar. Lectures will introduce key theories and case studies. Seminars from week 2 to 5 provide students with structured guidance on code writing, offering support to address any challenges encountered as they write their own programmes. Seminars in other weeks centre on students’ engagement with lecture themes by featuring case studies and interactive activities.

• Discuss how urban economy, life and governance have been transformed by digital technologies 
• Evaluate geographical perspectives on urban changes influenced by digital technologies
• Recognise data, tools and techniques that can be used to conduct urban research
   

• Evaluate the implications of technologies in either mitigating or perpetuating social injustice
• Apply concepts and theories to formulate individual opinions and arguments
• Assess the strengths and limitations of social media research
• Synthesize acquired knowledge and connect it to personal experience and insights 
  
   

• Acquire digital skills to research urban questions
• Gather, evaluate and integrate different sources of information
   

• Use analytical and critical thinking ability and problem-solving skill
• Acquire programming skill
• Apply organisational skills to prioritise task, management time and workload and meet deadlines
   

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Brunn, S.D., Cutter, S. L. and Harrington Jr, J.W. (eds.) (2004). Geography and technology. Springer.
Cardullo, P., Di Feliciantonio, C. and Kitchin, R. (eds.), 2019. The right to the smart city. Emerald Group Publishing.
Castells, M., 2009. The rise of the network society, with a new preface. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cugurullo, F. (2021). Frankenstein urbanism. London: Routledge. 
Evans, J., Karvonen, A. and Raven, R. (eds.) (2016). The experimental city. Routledge.
Graham, S. (ed.) (2004). The cybercities reader. London: Routledge.
Graham, S. and Marvin, S. (2002). Splintering urbanism: networked infrastructures, technological mobilities and the urban condition. Routledge.
Halegoua, G.R. (2020). The digital city: media and the social production of place. New York University Press.
Kitchin, R. (2014). The data revolution: big data, open data, data infrastructures and their consequences. SAGE. 
Warf, B. (ed.) (2017). Handbook on Geographies of Technology. Edward Elgar Publishing.