HSY2851

The Australian city: now and then

Offered subject to approval

Graeme Davison and others

6 points
* Three hours per week comprising two hours of lectures/field work and a one-hour tutorial
* First semester[breve] Berwick
* Prohibition: HSY2850

Objectives Students successfully completing this subject should have gained an understanding of the historical dimension of the issues confronting Australian cities and should have expanded their textual and fieldwork skills.
Synopsis This subject examines contemporary concerns about the structure and functions of Australian cities in the light of past debates about the future of cities and the historical experience of urban change. It analyses a range of past and present representations of the city placing them in both comparative and historical perspective. Attention will be paid to images of urban life in popular culture, such as film, television and tourist promotion. Students will be expected to engage in fieldwork and project related research. Among the specific questions to be considered are: How do cities compete with each other, and who wins? What factors contribute to a city's attractiveness to tourists and investors? Is suburban sprawl a benefit or a liability? Is the suburb a female prison? Why have Australians become so attached to the idea of individual home ownership. Have Australians been successful in absorbing immigrants, and, if so, why? Are Australian cities becoming more unequal and more dangerous? What is the role of urban festivals and major events in forming urban identity?

Assessment Fieldwork report (1000 words): 25%
* Research Essay (2500 words): 50%
* Test (1 hour): 25%

Recommended texts

Johnson L (ed.) Suburban dreaming: An interdisciplinary approach to Australian cities Deakin U P, 1994
Frost L Australian cities in comparative perspective Penguin, 1991
McCalman J Struggletown: Public and private life in Richmond, 1900- 1965 MUP, 1984
Davison G The rise and fall of marvellous Melbourne MUP, 1978
Peel M Good times, hard times: The past and future in Elizabeth MUP, 1995
Davison G, Dingle T and O'Hanlon S (eds) The cream brick frontier: Histories of Australian suburbia Monash History Monographs, 1995
Gibson K, and Watson S (eds) Metropolis now: Planning and the urban in contemporary Australia Pluto Press, 1994
Sandercock L Property, politics and urban planning: A history of Australian city planning Transactions Publishing, 1990
Murphy P, and Watson S (eds) Surface City Pluto, 1997