Global Cities

Module code: HS2238

This module will introduce you to urban history through a particular object of study – the rise of the metropolis as a key feature of the global world since 1700.

The module will provide you with the conceptual tools and empirical material to think historically about the rise of the world’s largest contemporary cities. It will focus on case-studies of Johannesburg, Lagos, Dublin, and Delhi, and you’ll be using materials such as maps, plans and other primary sources relating to urbanisation to investigate them.

The approach will be thematic and you'll encounter a range of writings that engage critically with key issues in urban history. Defining urbanisation as a historical process will be essential to evolving your own theories on global cities.