Winner of the 2025 AESOP Excellence In Teaching Award - Urban informality

Abstract

This module takes a novel focus to urban informality, a phenomenon that is increasing in cities globally (Harris 2018), yet remains a challenge for planning. To explore patterns and causes of informality, and assess strengths and limitations of diverse theoretical approaches, it applies a new three-part framework of living, working, and governing informally. It analyses the success of different real-world planning responses to informality, defining planning inclusively to incorporate government-led, donor-led and community-focused initiatives. It takes a global approach, incorporating theory and practice from Southern contexts where informality is well-established, while acknowledging the increasingly prevalent nature of this issue in the global North. The module's pedagogical innovation rests on its problem-based learning approach supported by the critical interrogation of planning theory and practice via alternative representations, co-created resources and repositioning of community knowledge. Weekly lectures convey concepts necessary for understanding informality and providing a critical appraisal of diverse real-world planning responses. Seminars offer an interactive setting for students to prepare assignments via discussion of core readings, which bring academic texts into conversation with alternative representations of informality such as novels, films, photo essays, informal resident and worker testimonies, and media representations. The module is offered to undergraduate students on MPlan Urban Studies and Planning, and postgraduate students on MSc Urban and Regional Planning, MA Urban Design and Planning, and MA International Development programmes.