Geourbanistics
05.04.02 In English and Russian
Level of education Master
Type of instruction Full-time
Duration 2 years
The master’s programme "Geourbanistics" provides a vision of the city that generates a unique knowledge of the interconnectedness and interdependence of natural, anthropogenic, social, economic, political, environmental and information processes that shape the complex system of urban habitat. The importance and relevance of the environmental approach is underscored by the UN Habitat global programme on urban development.
In connection with spatial urban systems, such a vision can be formed by:
- specialists involved in the study of social phenomena, specialists in tourism, land management and cadastres — about the social environment
- specialists involved in the study of physical and geographical sciences, geological sciences, hydrometeorology and geoecology — about natural landscapes of urban spaces
- cartographers and GIS specialists — these specialists are able to provide unique spatial tools for research and analysis of urban areas
The programme in "Geourbanistics" is interdisciplinary. It covers such fields of knowledge as economics, architecture, law, and sociology to name just a few.
- Urbanisation and Global development
- Urbanisation in Russia
- Current theories of urban development
- Management of urban development
- City planning
- Legal management of urban development
- Urban marketing
- Real estate cadastre and urban land use
- Urban social space: cultural and communication practices
- Urban political geography
- Environmental planning of urbanised territory
- The history of landscape architecture
- Smart city and urban development practices in Russia
- Design and modern city development
- Urban Economy and Economic Geography
- Urban Finance and Investments Management
The programme is interdisciplinary. The reality is that most of today’s urban issues cannot be solved by an industry specialist who majors in one subject: an economist, an architect, a lawyer, a sociologist, etc. Each of them individually cannot address today’s challenges. It is specialists with an interdisciplinary systemic "object" approach and vision who can most efficiently respond to such complex "challenges". It is they who can answer questions about the direction of urban system development at different levels of "specialisation": from the property, the neighbourhood, the district and the city to a regional system of cities, taking into account all natural and societal risks and opportunities. This programme is unique in that its graduates will be equipped with the skills of:
- Comprehensive analysis of urban areas of any scale from all "subject" perspectives
- Identification of key development factors for a particular area
- Integrated urban development projections for cities and urban systems
- Setting strategic objectives for the development of cities, their systems and urban areas
- Participating in the implementation of these objectives
- Students are provided with an opportunity to participate in conferences, seminars, symposia, including the annual Great Geographical Festival and conferences of the Association of Russian Social Geographers. They are also involved in research grants
- One of the key points of the programme that enables students to develop skills of participation in international conferences and intercultural student interaction is that some courses are taught in English. This makes it possible for students to participate in international academic exchange programmes with partner universities of St Petersburg University
- The academic programme has been designed taking into account professional standards and the views of employers
- Global urban networks
- Impact of globalisation on intra-urban development
- Development of the urban system in Russia and the world and the spread of the urban lifestyle
- Typology of urban areas and its impact on the features of development
- Processes of degradation of suburbanisation, gentrification, social and spatial segregation in Russian and world cities
- Rurbanisation in Russia and abroad
- Impact of migration processes on urban development
- Assessment of the investment potential of cities in Russia and foreign countries
- Structural investigation of urban settlement of the countries across the world, including world cities
- Spatial studies of ethnic processes in cities
- Assessment of the city's competitiveness
- Comparative political urban geography
- Electoral urban geography and electoral urban sociology
- Urban space and protest
- Ethnic structure of urban space
- Social urban structure and urban development
- Marketing strategy for urban development
- Urban development and redevelopment
- Competitive analysis and justification for locating retail outlets at the local level
- Landscape design and the role of the natural factor in urban development
- Urban environmental challenges
- Issues in managing historical and cultural heritage in cities
- Urban toponomy and symbols: role in urban development
- Urban management modes and urban developmen
Among the partner universities with which St Petersburg University has cooperation agreements are: Universität Hamburg (Germany) and the University of Tokyo (Japan).
The graduates can work as: research scientists, analytical experts, developers, and urban planners; as well as consultants in local authorities, and in transport, logistic and forwarding companies.
Prospective Employers
- St Petersburg City Authorities
- Leningrad Oblast' City Authorities
- Authorities of other Federal Entities
- 'Higher School of Economics' Research Institute
- Herzen University
- International Centre of Socio-Economic Research 'Leontiev Centre'
- Institute of Territorial Planning 'Urbanika'
- Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation
- Ministry of Economic Development of Russian Federation
- GIS-association
- Russian Research Institute of Urbanism
- Fund of the Centre for Strategic Research 'North-West'
State Accreditation Certificate № 2011 dated 16 June 2016.