URBS 201-01, Introduction to Urban Studies, Fall 2008

Abstract

This class is designed to introduce students to the discipline of urban studies through an analysis of key concepts, theories, and contemporary case studies. Students will be exposed to the diverse issues and problems encountered by urbanized areas and their inhabitants. The course is divided into three sections. In the first section we examine the evolution of cities historically and ideationally, looking at competing ideas of urban life and urban populations. In the second section we examine the role of planning and zoning as tools to shape urban spaces and create a particular kind of urban “place.” In the final section we examine how the relationship between political forces and market forces constrain cities in the United States. We also consider contemporary efforts to rethink key concepts and develop new responses to the conditions that plague cities.