Gentrification and the Welfare City
| Study location | Finland, Helsinki |
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| Type | Short duration course, short course |
| Nominal duration | 4–20 Aug 2020 (6 ECTS) |
| Study language | English |
| Tuition fee |
EARLY BIRD prices valid until 28 February 2020 |
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| Entry qualification | A minimum of 2 years of university-level studies is required for all courses. See course-specific requirements below >> target students. |
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| Language requirements | English All courses are taught in English. Although applicants are not required to present an official certificate of language proficiency, all students must be fluent in English. A good command of English is necessary for completing the course (following teaching, participating in classroom discussions, writing essays) as well as managing day-to-day matters in Finland. An applicant can be rejected if his/her level of English is not deemed equivalent to the standards. |
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| Other requirements | A motivation letter must be added to your application. Please tell us about your academic goals and why you would like to attend Helsinki Summer School and the course you have applied for. For example: Why is this course important to your studies or to your future career? How do you satisfy the course requirements? Please note that plagiarism is strictly forbidden at the University of Helsinki. Any applicant caught of plagiarism will be automatically rejected. |
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| More information |
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Overview
Synopsis
This Helsinki Summer School course explores urbanisation from the point of view of the Nordic ‘welfare city’. A welfare city, such as Helsinki, is built on ideals of equality, the well-being of its citizens, a sustainable balance between the needs of both nature and the people, and responds to social and ecological awareness alike.
A process affecting the welfare city at the moment is gentrification. From hipster bars to rent increases, gentrification is a common and visible process of contemporary metropolitan restructuring, familiar from cities around the world. Often its real meaning and what the process really entails remain invisible. Brought on by uneven investments, gentrification sees capital take over and transform homes and neighbourhoods of low-income people and is a cause of displacement and urban inequality – a process poorly suited to the ethos of the welfare city.
The course uses lectures, workshops and excursions in Helsinki to help the students understand contemporary problems and issues related to gentrification in the Nordic welfare city.
Target students
The course is designed for Master’s degree students interested in urbanisation and with a background in urban studies, social sciences, sociology, geography, cultural studies, architecture, urban planning, environmental studies, politics, and economics.
Coordinator
Giacomo Bottà, giacomo.botta@helsinki.fi
You may contact the course coordinator with questions concerning the course content.
With any other questions concerning Helsinki Summer School or the application process, please contact summerschool@helsinki.fi.