Course Description
Introduces students to foundational social science research on cities, with an emphasis on the modern-day political challenges surrounding urban transportation, housing, segregation, demographics, crime, corruption, public goods provision, and municipal debt.
Athena Title
The Science of Cities
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in POLS 4641H
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will understand and summarize foundational theories in urban politics and economics.
- Students will understand the challenges facing present-day city leaders.
- Students will be able to apply their knowledge as the semester’s “resident expert” on a major city of their choice.
- Students will be able to identify where course material can inform ongoing debates on urban governance.
- Students will write detailed briefings justifying the student’s conclusions on the day’s readings.
- Students will be able to interpret quantitative results from published academic papers in urban politics and economics.
- Students will lead in-class discussion to help classmates understand and apply information from the day’s readings to contemporary urban governance issues.
- Students will understand foundational theories in urban politics and economics.
- Students will complete a project in which you propose a solution to a contemporary urban governance problem, applying lessons learned during the course.
Topical Outline
- Foundations (Urban Economics and Scaling Laws)
- Urbanization
- Sorting & Segregation
- Local Democratic Institutions
- Transportation
- Housing