Across the Banks: Uneven Development in London and its Hinterlands

Module description

This module invites students to investigate the social, spatial, and economic inequalities that mark urban life in London. The class will focus on broad debates and narratives about progress, development, race, creativity, and justice, tying these large themes to how London is produced, governed, and imagined. Students will draw on their own experiences to examine how everyday life is shaped by the city and its inequalities. A particular emphasis will be placed on issues of social justice and political resistance in the city. Rather than delving deeply into one specific field, the course will introduce, on a weekly basis, a number of different lenses through which urban life and inequality can be seen and analyzed; these include processes such as gentrification, segregation, environmental racism, policing, fortification, health, immigration and enclaving. In addition to learning about the city and the processes that shape it, this course is designed to improve and challenge students, academic skills in critical thinking, writing, and political and geographical debate.

Assessment details

• Coursework

Educational aims & objectives

This module will enable students to:

• Describe urban inequality in London.
• Identify and analyze debates over urban redevelopment, the creative class, segregation, gentrification, fortification, and homelessness.
• Make connections between changes in the city and changes in the everyday lives of certain groups and individuals.
• Begin to apply theories of capitalism, consciousness, development, neoliberalism, gender, race, and class to the urban context.
• Recognize recent demographic, economic, architectural, and infrastructural changes in the city of London.
• To make connections between uneven development and unequal education in London and its hinterlands.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

• Understand how the city can be theorised and represented
• Understand how and why urban inequalities occur
• Understand urban regeneration policies and practices
• Evaluate different forms of evidence in order to produce an extended social science argument
• Demonstrate a degree of independent learning
• Understand how uneven development affect education

Teaching pattern

One weekly lecture and one weekly seminar. 

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.