JSIS 485A/URBDP 498A: ASIAN CITIES – Today and Tomorrow
Winter 2017, 3 Credits, T/Th 12:30-1:20
This course examines current themes relating to rapid urbanization in Asia. With enormous diversity within its sub-regions, Asia and its cities such as Mumbai, Shanghai, Manila, and Jakarata, are home to some of the richest businessmen in the world while at the same time socio-economic inequality is rising rapidly. These cities are also notorious for their vast slums with large numbers of people living in deplorable conditions without access to basic sanitations and services.
Applying interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives, this course embraces the complexity and ambiguity that is the Asian city. Focussing on cities like Delhi, Hong Kong, Taipei, Karachi, Astana and others, this course will provide students with substantive knowledge on contemporary trends of urbanization, urban development and the various scholarly approaches to understanding Asian cities and current theoretical debates, including those that challenge western-centric approaches to understanding urban change in the region.
Questions and comments? Contact the instructor: Susmita Rishi (Sush) at srishi@uw.edu