Write A Paper About Urban Climate Challenges

Your paper should consider one of these topics in a specific city or number of cities (e.g. through a comparison of two cities). You do not need to address all the subtopics mentioned for each theme, but can choose one or two to focus. For example, for the first theme above (Addressing the climate emergency in urban areas: impacts, policies and politics) you might focus on impacts and policies, or policies and politics.

It is crucial that you engage with the academic as well as policy literature, providing a sense of the debates and dimensions of the challenge. Draw on theoretical debates where appropriate and consider the key steps which are needed, in your view, to address current and evolving aspects of the problem. Provide as much material as possible (e.g. citations or data analysis in the form of graphs and tables) to support your arguments. All papers must refer to examples of cities and note any regional differences (e.g. between the global north and south) and particularities of the place(s). Beyond the academic literature you may refer to frameworks, policies, laws and regulations that have been passed.

Your paper should adequately describe the topic that you are writing about and how it takes shape in the city or cities you are examining. Describe the specific urban context (s) in which you are considering the topic. What kind of urban area is it, e.g. a city, a city region, and in terms of geographical position, size, economy, political-economic as well as climatic conditions? Consider the full scope of the topic referring frequently to academic literature.

Your paper should determine how the academic and policy literature can help us think about the topic (definitions, causes, dynamics and potential solutions). Do draw on theoretical literature in the discussion in doing this, e.g. in terms of defining democracy, sustainability, etc. The paper should be attuned to urban politics e.g. how are risks and disadvantages distributed amongst urban populations? What is being done by government? What debates and struggles are there about how things could be improved?

Clearly structure your paper and highlight the steps in your argument through subheadings.

Use a spell-checker. Number your pages. Always write the full form of an acronym when you use it for the first time.

Marking criteria：

Marks will be awarded on the basis of:

• Coherence, clarity and depth of argument;

• Critical use and analysis of academic literature and other sources to develop own arguments

• Structure, clear writing style and presentation

• Standard of referencing.

Reference Style：MLA