Geography
City Profile : (any non-asian city which the write will be proficient in writing one)
Project description
Your task is to prepare a condensed version of a ‘City Profile’ for hypothetical submission to the journal Cities. Here are the exact guidelines from Cities:
City Profiles are usually 5,000-6,000 words in length. They should make clear at the start why the city is being featured and should offer a brief description of the city’s historical development, an account of contemporary conditions, problems or issues and a critical review of recent or current policy, planning or management responses.
The following components will normally be required: location and physical assets/constraints; summary history: demographics; economic, social and environmental conditions and issues; urban form or design characteristics; political, planning and management structures; recent or current initiatives, successes or failures; future developments. Profiles often include a section focusing in on a specific area, sector, or other aspect of the city or of its planning or management. Location and city maps are normally required and photographs are encouraged.
Again, though, follow our length guidelines above.
When you develop your city profile, please provide a broad overview of the city (see the above guidelines) and then include a section that focuses in on a theme you find fascinating/interesting; a case study or sorts. The focus could be on, for example:
The development of mass transport systems in contemporary Beijing
The changing nature of the film industry in Los Angeles
The environmental impact of the Olympics on London
The historical development of the sewage system in Paris
The health impacts of poverty in the slums of Sao Paulo
The cinematic representations of New York from Taxi Driver to the present day
The environmental impacts of sprawl in the Chicagoland region
Etc., etc.
The case study should be a ‘hook’ to let you dig into a topic in the city of your choice. Go with your instinct and focus on what interests you most – don’t look for a focus you think we might like, OK.