MODULE TITLE: Urban & Environmental Politics	ENVS2660	
MODULE TUTOR: Susan Batty	
YEAR: 2	TERM: 1	
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: 

TEACHING & LEARNING METHODS
Hours of student’s time (Total = 100)	
Lectures	10	Seminars/workshops	10	Tutorials		
Private reading	40	Essays/projects	40	Site visits/field trips		

EDUCATIONAL AIMS
•	To develop knowledge and understanding of the workings of local political systems and
the political context of urban and environmental planning
•	To develop an understanding of the history of the emergence of the environment as a 
political issue
•	To develop an awareness of the conceptual basis of arguments about agenda development, 
local democracy and social movements particularly in relation to environmental policy.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Students will develop an understanding of why we have local government, how it works and 
how it has changed.  Students will develop an awareness of the roles of the various actors – 
including the new role for mayors and cabinet style local government; the institutional 
structures and how they have developed; and the government’s plans for modernisation, the
processes of local agenda development, policy making and implementation.

The ways in which issues become part of the local political agenda will be explored, by tracing
the emergence of environmental concerns.  Students will look at the recent history of the 
emergence of the environment as a political issue, and examine the methods and approaches
adopted by concerned groups and individuals (ranging from professionalism and party politics 
to civil disobedience and violence).

OUTLINE 

Introduction: a review of the basics concepts of politics; government at the local level; 
Councillors and officers; tiers of government; local democracy; the environment as a political
 issue; Green ideology; environmental groups; Green politics; review

KEY SKILLS	
Conceptual/intellectual &
problem definition		Problem solving		Synthesis & application of 
knowledge to practice		
Written communication		Interpersonal communication		Oral presentation		
Quantitative & 
Qualitative analysis		Research & data
Collection		IT competence		
Design/spatial awareness		Management skills		Creativity		

ASSESSMENT

Coursework: 100%                 Written examination:  0%

Description of assessment(s):

Two term papers (worth 50% each) of 2000-2,500 words.

Criteria for Assessment(s):

Evidence of knowledge and understanding of the workings of local political systems and of the emergence of the environment as a political issue. Awareness of relevant theoretical background and arguments. Use of appropriate case examples.

ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE
	
Assessment Title	Week given out/topic to be approved	Week of deadline	Week of return/
Feedback 	
Essay 1	Wk1, Term1	Wk 7, Term 1	Wk 10, Term 1	
Essay 2	Wk 1, Term 1	Wk 11, Term 1	Wk 2, Term 2	

INDICATIVE READING 
T.Byrne (2000) Local Government in Britain Penguin (7th edition)
DETR (1998) Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People HMSO Cm 4014 
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham "How should we run the council?" web page: http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/
D Wilson and C Game (1994) Local Government in the United Kingdom Macmillan
T Doyle and D McEachern (1998) Environment and Politics Routledge
T O'Riordan and A. Jordan (1995) "British Environmental Politics in the 1990's" Environmental Politics Vol 4 No 4 pp 237-246
S.Young (1992) "The Different Dimensions of Green Politics" Environmental Politics Vol 1 No 1 pp 9-44