Examines the nexus between culture and place. Contemporary cultural planning issues include; local community relations, social planning, place management, place redefinitions, selling place, ethnic concentration, cultural precincts, and the spatial politics of gender and sexuality. The roles of cultural products in carrying spatial information and reinforcing identity are examined. Introduction to cultural and social geography, and developments in cognate fields of cultural studies and anthropology. Key theories of identity. Case studies range across religion, gender, sexuality, class and nationalism. The analysis and assessment advances a politics of difference, anti-racist, social justice perspective.

This unit is a keystone in the Geography and Urban Studies major. It aims to introduce students to the major urban challenges that will shape our society in the future and to the major substantive concerns in the field of urban management and planning It will develop students' understanding of how their own urban experiences are shaped by broader historical, cultural, economic, and social forces, and will enable students to compare the Australian urban context and issues with those in other world regions.

This unit aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the role of government and the political processes, focusing on the role and nature of planning across all levels of government from a variety of theoretical frameworks. It presents a critical examination of the urban development and planning processes, with particular attention given to the environmental and political issues associated with planning at the local government level. It looks at the changes and challenges confronting local government in view of the demands made on them by the changing social and economic conditions and societal values such as those relating to requirements for public participation, transparency and accountability. The unit also exams the role of private sector in planning and assessment processes.

This unit examines the equity and efficiency issues in the provision of transport in cities and regions from a critical social science perspective. Issues of transport disadvantage and policy and planning responses to improve access to urban services are examined. The social and environmental impact of transport systems are considered in the context of urban management.

The making and the use of maps. This unit involves the critical examination of the way geographical data is produced, analysed, mapped and used to inform both private and public decisions. Natural environment, health, accessibility and residential amenity are examples of phenomena that have an important geographical dimension. Policy responses to these phenomena need to be specific with regard to locations and places. Geographic information systems software and census will be used to produce maps based on the analysis and interpretation of data relating to the student's field of interest.

An international and cross-institutional discussion of immigration and settlement. Covering the theory and experience of immigration. Considers the international and national regulation of immigration and settlement policies, as well as refugee policy. Case studies are from Australia and Canada, and Singapore. Within mixed tutorial groups (with students from Singapore, Vancouver & Sydney) students will exchange experiences and opinions of immigration.

Housing affordability and access are significant urban problems. This unit focuses on the past history and current challenges of housing markets and policy in Australia. Comparisons are drawn between rental and home ownership trends and supports, the roles of the public, social, and private sectors, and between Australian, European, and North American housing markets and policies. Discussions critically evaluate how policy and markets interact. Examining trends in local housing markets and in the structure of housing finance provides a basis for discussions about how housing policy could better respond to the evolving challenges of volatile markets.

'Economics of cities and regions' introduces the major political-economic issues facing cities and regions. Class discussions investigate how political-economic forces (such as globalisation, structural change etc) shape the development of cities and regions. Class activities enable students to apply economic principles to urban and regional planning and policy decisions, and teach students to analyse the social and distributional impacts of policy and planning decisions.