Following the learnings of the course, you will pick a topic or policy issue that you deem particularly interesting about Chinese cities. You will work as a group of 2 or 3 to explore the issue, focusing especially on one or two case studies - particular cities or urban areas - that you think are representative of the issue.

How it works

• Choose a policy issue: Pick a topic you are interested in.
• Identify one/two cities or areas where the issue is proeminent.
• Research: Study the issue using academic sources, data, and real-world examples.
• Analyze: Critically examine the issue and its implications for urban governance.
• Present: Write a blog post (or a 3,000-word report) that explains your findings. Use visuals like maps, charts, or drawings to make it engaging.
• Share: Present your work in a 8-minute group presentation.

Some possibles topics

• Land reform (rural/urban integration in Chongqing)
• Urban villages (Dafen village in Shenzhen)
• Large-scale regional planning (the Greater Bay Area)
• Pollution (airpocalypse in Beijing)
• Minorities ('Little Africa' Xiaobei district in Guangzhou)
• Trade infrastructure (Yiwu International Trade City)
• Industrial clusters (Chongqing-Chengdu Corridor)
• etc.

Deliverables

A blog post

A blog post containing a 3,000-word written report with your analysis and visuals. The blog post should contains a general presentation of the topic of interest for your project, information about geographical area and your analysis and findings. It may include visual elements such as maps, illustrations, drawings, tables, figures, data visualizations, etc

A 8-minute group presentation

You will present your findings to the class during a presentation that will last 8 minutes. The presentation will introduce the topic you have chosen, highlight key insights, and show their implications for urban governance and development.

Assessment Criteria

Your work will be evaluated based on the following questions.

1. Did you do actual research?
2. Did you think critically?
3. Is your writing clear and easy to follow?
4. Is your presentation effective?

Overall, the most important is that you demonstrated an understanding of the issue, engaged with some of the academic literature and thought about the implications of your findings in a larger context.

Schedule

• week 6: form groups and draft a short proposal (1 paragraph).
• week 9: submit a short update on your progress by email (2-3 paragraphs).
• week 12: submit your final work and present in class.