Urban Studies Foundations PDF

Urban Studies Foundations Name speaker | Place Prof.dr. Manon van der Heijden Discover theworld Discover attheworld Leiden University at Leiden University 1 HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S A CITY? IF YOU STAND NAKED ON THE FRONT PORCH AND THE NEIGHBOURS CAN’T SEE YOU…. IT’S RURAL IF YOU STAND NAKED ON...

Urban Studies Foundations Name speaker | Place Prof.dr. Manon van der Heijden Discover theworld Discover attheworld Leiden University at Leiden University 1 HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S A CITY? IF YOU STAND NAKED ON THE FRONT PORCH AND THE NEIGHBOURS CAN’T SEE YOU…. IT’S RURAL IF YOU STAND NAKED ON THE FRONT PORCH AND THE NEIGHBOURS CALL THE COPS…. ITS SUBURBAN IF YOU STAND NAKED ON THE FRONT PORCH AND THE NEIGHBOURS IGNORE YOU….. ITS URBAN Discover theworld at Leiden University 2 The city as a micro world Premodern cities were the forerunners of modern states! • Efficient government • Military Protection • Law • Markets and labour • Social Care institutions • Religious institutions Discover theworld at Leiden University 3 Why is Urban Studies important? • 2022: - ca. 57% world population - ca. 75% European people • 1 million people extra every week • 2050: 70% world population in cities Humans are city dwellers! Discover theworld at Leiden University 4 Two parts of this course Urban History Urban Social Geography • Why are cities important? • Key questions • Patterns of urbanization over the world • Key approaches and concepts • Important topics in urban history: • Important topics in Urban Social Geography: Population and Migration Economy Economy Socio-economic patterns Power and governance Poverty and inequality Compare regions across time and space Discover theworld at Leiden University Inequality and segregation Culture and Identity Environment UN Definition of a city? Most people agree that cities are: • Places where large numbers of people live and work • Hubs of government, commerce and transportation. However, how best to define the geographical limits of a city is a matter of some debate. • No standardized international criteria exist for determining the boundaries of a city • Often multiple boundary definitions are available for any given city. • More information: https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization Discover theworld at Leiden University 6 What is a City in history? • A large human settlement > minimum between 1.500 and 5.000 inhabitants • Density of facilities • Economic, political and administrative centers? Civitas = citizenship, community member Urbs = city in the physical sense Polis = city-states China: all settlements with an outer wall Greece: centers of self-governing city-states Europe: citizenship Discover theworld at Leiden University Chinese city Xian 7 Definition of the city debated Lewis Mumford: “The city is a theatre of social action” > a form of social drama • Urban building (houses, markets, churches, city halls, etc.) are expressions of power and relations • Not only during rituals, but in every day life Discover theworld at Leiden University 8 Triumph of the City? Edward Glaeser (2011): Cities are great places: • Engines of innovation • Bring people and ideas together And the best places to stay: • People earn more • More facilities • Less crime • Less disease and pollution Discover theworld at Leiden University 9 Do cities make us richer? . Poverty rates lower in cities • wider range of jobs • higher wages • social mobility • access to facilities However, • higher unemployment rates • huge income differences • cities are expensive Discover theworld at Leiden University 10 Do cities make us healthier? Cities are often seen as unhealthy! • plague in the past > high death rates • poor water quality • air pollution However, • higher life expectancy • better access to health services • suicide rates lower • improvement water quality Discover theworld at Leiden University 11 Do cities make us safer? Cities are places of crime • higher crime rates • more disorder • higher risk of drug abuse However, • decline homicide rates • police forces • support infrastructures • improving security technologies Bigger cities often highest safety levels! Discover theworld at Leiden University 12 Do cities make us greener? The problem of climate change Cities are: • Largest energy consumers • Creating green house gas emissions • Facing huge problems of heat, storms and flooding However, • innovation to reduce carbon emissions • urban farming Cities are the key to environmental solutions Discover theworld at Leiden University 13 Cities are important, but… • Cities are not isolated! • Changes over time • Differences between cities • Governance of cities important The example of Medellin: city of Pablo Escobar Discover theworld at Leiden University 14 Start urbanization Definition urbanization: Population shift from rural to urban areas First cities: ca. 4300 - 3000 BC: • Mesopotamia • Mediterranean Europe • North India • China Discover theworld at Leiden University 15 Why did cities attract people before 1800? 1. Economic reasons • Water supply • Transport routes, trade and work 2. Protection • Military protection • Abuse of lords and kings (Europe) • Property rights and criminal law 2. Facilities • Markets • Poor relief • Law and administration NO CITIES WITHOUT MIGRANTS Discover theworld at Leiden University 16 Urbanization in Europe 2020 92% of the Dutch are living in the city Around 1800 • 40% in the Netherlands • 60-70% in Holland Discover theworld at Leiden University 1700 > 10.000 Germany 5 France 9 Italy 13 England 13 Netherlands 33 Holland 54 17 Tekst Tekst Tekst Discover theworld at Leiden University Europe’s most densely population areas Discover theworld at Leiden University 19 Urbanization in the world Important differences between Europe and other parts of the world Estimates urbanization c. 1800 12-21 1. High level of urbanization Western Europe 2. Relatively small cities in Europe, mega cities outside Europe Japan 15 Middle East 12 3. Urban Autonomy South East Asia 6-7 Americas 3-7 Africa 2-4 Difference between urbanization and major cities! Discover theworld at Leiden University 20 Comparing the size of cities before 1800 China Administration and services (imperial: in service of the state) Hanghzou c. 1200: 1 million inhabitants Ottoman empire • International trade and commercialization Istanbul c. 1550: 600,000 inhabitants Western Europe • International trade and commercialization London 1500: 50,000 Amsterdam 1570: 30,000 Discover theworld at Leiden University 21 The impact of industrialization Huge city growth from the end of the 18th century! London as forerunner, other Western European cities follow. Key factor: rural-urban migration Why? Industrialization Discover theworld at Leiden University 22 Why is Urban History important? Charles Tilly (1996): “What Good is Urban History?” • Big questions • Test processes and patterns: daily practices • Compare Why? Urban historians have the information and the skills Discover theworld at Leiden University Problem: explanatory power of urban history Cities are not isolated entities, but depend on: • Countryside • Governments • Urban network Cities are continuously negotiating their power and position Discover theworld at Leiden University Do cities explain economic differences in the world? Max Weber (1864-1920): European city is crucial for explaining difference between Western Europe and the rest of the world. Great Divergence after 1850 Why did the Industrial Revolution start in the West and not elsewhere? Discover theworld at Leiden University 25 How? Autonomy of Western cities before 1800 led to: • Free citizens: middle classes • Open institutions: craft guilds, social care, courts • Dynamic populations > middle classes, migrants, women Result: industrialization? Urbanization one of the engines of China's economic growth in the last decades? Debate among scholars! Discover theworld at Leiden University 26 Literature first part of the course • Explain important social and economic developments by comparative urban history • Across time and space •Global questions, Local sources Discover theworld at Leiden University Cities in World History Peter Clark ed. (2013) 1. Surveys on regions in different periods of time 2. Themes: • Economy • Migration • Power • Culture Discover theworld at Leiden University Exams Two exams: I: II: Look at Brightspace for information: October 30 Lectures and literature first 6 weeks December 18 1. Timeschedule of the course (lectures weeks and work groups) Lectures and literature last 6 Revisit: January 2024 2. Information on the course 3.Weekly literature 4. Announcements Discover theworld at Leiden University Lecturers work groups Mehmet Kentel Ottoman cities, environmental history, infrastructure, 19th century Nadia Bouras Migration and integration of newcomers Moroccan migrants 20-th-century Discover theworld at Leiden University 30 QUESTIONS? [email protected] Click here to insert an image Discover theworld at Leiden University 31