Introduction to Urban Studies

Catalog description

This course serves as an introduction to the multi-disciplinary field of urban studies. It explores the nature of the city, how cities developed, and what the cities of the future will look like. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach incorporating anthropology, geography, history, political science and sociology, the course examines the space of the city. Students will consider the city’s origins, complexity, richness, challenges, social problems, and its physical, social and cultural characteristics. The class will explore the appeal of the city as a social and political space, and consider the cities of the future and what they mean for human culture and society. Particular focus will be placed on how race and ethnicity shape urban life in US cities.