SM9731 - Placemaking and Cultural Consumption

Problem centred, student-driven learning is at the heart of this module, supported by lecture input from research-active scholars and facilitated seminar discussions.

The module is led by the teaching team of researchers, who will support students directly in seminars and in lecture settings as well as during formative assessment exercises such as presentations or debates. Further, facilities such as the chat rooms and forums on Blackboard will be used to enable discussion and questioning

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Module Learning Outcomes
You will demonstrate the ability to:
• Apply a range of theories to examples of placemaking, for example how former industrial communities are reimagining their forgotten spaces as living and leisure spaces,
• Explain and critique the shift from places of production to places of consumption as factories, mines and worker communities around the globe are recreated as places of leisure and play.
• Critically assess how digital interactions and innovations impact placemaking
• Describe and consider the potential for the repurposed spaces of another age to be embraced as rich and vibrant places to live, work and play, via the mobile, intangible heritages of place, and consider ways in which these may be cherished, respected and even celebrated.
• Adopt a critical lens, to unpack these placemaking processes, applying theory ranging from the Frankfurt School to the work of recent theorists like Cresswell (2014), Florida (2002), Lloyd (2010), and others, , as well as related philosophical ideas meanings of places - as home, as dwelling, as workplace, as tourism destinations, places and ‘non-places’ (Augé 1995) - and the constant processes of places continually in flux.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Debate
• Critcal literature analysis
• Multi-disciplinary synthesis
• Academic and practical writing

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

You will be assessed through a combination of formative and summative assessment tasks:

Formative assessment will be set in class and guided by your tutors, who will provide formative feedback to support your learning.

Summative assessment will be in form of a short group presentation (25%) and individual annotated photo diary of 3000 words (75%)

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You will study the concept of place, culture and creativity in cities worldwide.
Led by scholars currently researching into place development and cultural consumption, you will learn how people make places, but within a range of contextual conditions. Students will therefore explore how spaces become meaningful places for leisure and consumption around the world as a result of what people (tourists, entrepreneurs, residents, policymakers, captains of industry) do. You will be introduced to concepts of place-making, including the creation of contemporary bohemia / neo-bohemian cultural quarters aimed at the day and night-time economies, alongside the work of creative and heritage industries, and cultural performances. You will critically consider the significance of placemaking as cultural production and consumption, from the glossy, large-scale mega-developments of event spaces, concert halls and sports grounds to more grass-roots and community engaged bohemians, entrepreneurs and creative collectives.