With over 50 percent of the world’s population now living in cities there has been an increasing trend to associate global issues with urban issues. Cities have been seen as the causes of global problems – as sources of pollution and environmental damage; as concentrations of economic polarisation and sharpening social inequalities; as sites of privatised governance and non-democratic control. Alternatively, and increasingly, cities are seen as potential solutions to these global problems – from the benefits of urban density for reducing pollution and supporting sustainable energy regimes, through to sustainable economic transformations to reduce poverty, and as sites of experiments in new urban politics and social movements. This course explores the dimensions of contemporary urbanisation in the context of the challenges and opportunities of contemporary processes of globalisation. There is an emphasis on analysing, from a theoretical and methodological point of view, the practical aspects of problem solving in the context of the globalised city and anticipated city futures. We offer a programme that focuses on the changing nature of cities and urbanisation in a globalising world. It looks at the major problems and dilemmas of globalised urbanisation – urban growth and its environmental impacts, the role of cities in a globalised economic system; urban mobilities and transport systems; governing cities in a globalising world. The course is aimed at those aiming to move onto further geographical/urban academic research or a career in a practice/policy environment (public, private, NGO, Third Sector) working on urban problems and solutions (economic, social, environmental) in an international context.