The City: Introduction to Urban Studies

Catalog description

This class introduces students to cities, suburbs, and the ways people study urban life. Intended for current and prospective Urban Studies majors and minors, the class surveys the history and contemporary experiences of cities around the world, comparing Philadelphia with other places. We explore urban growth and decline, colonization, migration, neighborhood change, policy and planning, race and ethnicity, gender, poverty, inequality, and social, economic, and environmental justice. Students are introduced to institutions and professions ranging from housing and urban development to public education and health – examining their research and practice across regions. Class meetings include lectures and discussion, but largely follow the structured, active, in-class learning (SAIL) format. This includes field trips, intensive group work and assignments using maps and census data, taking and curating photographs, observing and documenting neighborhoods, among other approaches to researching and analyzing cities.