Urban Studies Courses

URB 101 - What is a city? (4)

Students will learn what a city can be, and what it means to be part of an urban community from a range of perspectives, methods, and practices. Key ideas explore urban life and processes, including land and housing, economic relations, social relations, mobility and movement, political relations, and human-nature relations.

URB 201 - Urban Inquiry and Practice (3)

Effective inquiries in urban studies require the application of approaches to find, analyze, and communicate data about the city, its residents, and its functions. From these applications, they can become the keys to professional urban practices in careers that focus on examining cities. GEOG 266W will be accepted in lieu of URB 201. Students with credit for FASS 211 may not take this course for further credit.

URB 413 - Storyscapes: Decolonizing the City Through Arts and Culture (4)

Explores the colonialism embedded into the stories, landscapes, and systems of the North American city, and how Indigenous laws, stories, arts and culture hold keys to planning sustainable, equitable, decolonized cities. Grounded emphasis on Indigenous and non-Indigenous landscapes and planning institutions and practices in Vancouver. Prerequisite: 30 units. Students with credit for URB 695 under the title "Storyscapes: Decolonizing the City Through Arts" may not take this course for further credit.

URB 423 - Women in Cities: A Critical Intersectional Perspective (4)

Gender and sexual politics are among the most significant -and least discussed- of the forces and processes that affect urban form and function, from the built environment, to law and policy, to cultural landscapes. Examines how gender and sexuality shape urban life, from the body to City Hall. Prerequisite: 30 units. Students who completed GSWS 411 E100 or URB 695 (Fall 2020) under the title "Women in Cities" may not take this course for further credit.

URB 463 - Diversity and Equity in Cities (4)

Explores diversity and equity in cities from an urban studies perspective. Examines how different social and identity markers (ethnicity, religion, race, gender, class, sexuality, disability or language) shape cities. The primary focus is Canada, but the course also takes a comparative perspective and looks at these issues outside Canada. Prerequisite: 30 units. Students with credit for POL 463 or URB 695 under the title "Diversity in Cities" may not take this course for further credit.

URB 497 - Comparative Urban Sustainability International Field Studies (9)

International field school with on campus preparatory seminar sessions. Emphasis is placed upon experiential learning in an international urban setting, drawing informed and reasoned comparisons across cultural, political, social, environmental, economic, and built form contexts, and developing trans-national urban research and professional skills and capacities. Prerequisite: 30 units.

URB 499 - Urban Innovation Lab (9)

Immersive capstone experience in organizational change processes with external urban laboratory organization. Students will learn and apply understandings of urban innovation, systemic and transformational change, and sustainability transitions. The lab course will consist of lectures, discussions and exercises, intensive reading, extensive time in the field, and preparing a team-based project. Prerequisite: 60 units and permission of the instructor. Students should seek permission from the instructor prior to the term in which they wish to enroll.

URB 601 - Urban Professional Development I (2)

Designed to assist and support urban studies student professional development as practitioners and change-agents in a range of possible career paths.

URB 602 - Urban Professional Development II (2)

Designed to assist and support urban studies student professional development as researchers in a range of possible career paths.

URB 605 - Great Urban Thinkers (4)

Examination of the thought of key urban thinkers who have defined the field of urban studies, drawing from architecture, planning, sociology, history, anthropology, political science, public policy, and geography.

URB 610 - Urban Design: Integrating Theory and Practice (4)

This course is an examination of urban design as a discipline that involves the environmental, aesthetic, social, economic, geographic, ecological, historical, political, and cultural aspects of the built environment. The importance of creative design, the interrelationship between the spatial organization of a city, its efficient delivery of services, the social, cultural and economic considerations of the public realm, as well as the process of change in our pluralistic society will all be considered.

URB 613 - Storyscapes: Decolonizing the City Through Arts and Culture (4)

Explores the colonialism embedded into the stories, landscapes, and systems of the North American city, and how Indigenous laws, stories, arts and culture hold keys to planning sustainable, equitable, decolonized cities. Grounded emphasis on Indigenous and non-Indigenous landscapes and planning institutions and practices in Vancouver.

URB 615 - Comparative Metropolitan Governance (4)

Provides a critical evaluation of the varied nature and development of metropolitan governance. It focuses on differing city-regional forms and responsibilities, theoretically, and in North America, the EU, Asia, New Zealand and Israel. Emphasis is placed on comparing the political processes involved in the governing of major urban regions, especially on intergovernmental institutions and multilevel governance. The course also provides opportunities for students to interact with political/bureaucratic actors and local/comparative experts. The intention is to apply lessons from this comparative analysis to the Vancouver-centered region.

URB 620 - Urban Communities and Cultures (4)

This course is an introduction to the anthropological and sociological study of complex urban societies in comparative perspective. It includes study of anthropological and sociological approaches to urbanization, the nature of the city as a social system, and urban communities and cultures.

URB 627 - Women in Cities: A Critical Intersectional Perspectives (4)

Gender and sexual politics are among the most significant - and least discussed - of the forces and processes that inform urban form and function, from the built environment, to law and policy, to cultural landscapes. Examines how gender and sexuality shape urban life, from the body to City Hall.

URB 630 - Urban Development, Planning and Policy (4)

The focus of this course is the evolving relationship between state interventions into the city, and dynamics of urban development. The class emphasizes the historical context to urban planning and policy, with particular reference to the Canadian city.

URB 635 - Urban Inequality and the Just City (4)

Examines the forces that have created and perpetuated urban social inequality, along with its political, economic, and cultural impact on cities. Explores the social movements, planning efforts, and policy initiatives that have tackled urban poverty and social exclusion in the struggle to create just cities.

URB 645 - Urban Sustainable Development (4)

In this course, we begin to answer the question: what does the idea of sustainable development mean for cities? Using case studies from Vancouver and around the world, we will seek to understand how urban sustainable development innovations are developed, designed, and implemented. Special attention will be paid to the importance of sustainable development linkages between urban issues related to economic development, social justice, and environmental conservation and protection.

URB 647 - Urban Ethics (4)

Opens an active, informed dialogue on moral and ethical subjects, which demand the attention of urban professionals. Course material is organized around enduring and contemporary questions about the good city and ethical practice.

URB 650 - Urban Governance (4)

This course is intended to confront students with many of the current administrative, policy, inter-governmental and political challenges of local/urban/city-regional government in the 21st century. It will enable students to critically evaluate the varied nature and development of urban and metropolitan governance through an assessment of differing city-regional forms and responsibilities. The primary emphasis is on: social, economic and political sustainability; ethnic, gender and ecological re-definitions of the city; urban fiscal constraints and possibilities; urban governance and local democracy; intergovernmental challenges; urban responses to and re-definitions of re-globalization; case studies of agenda setting and other policy cycle stages. The primary seminar focus is on urban Canada but comparative cases will be drawn from the United States, the EU, Asia and other jurisdictions.

URB 655 - Global Cities (4)

Students will critically evaluate and apply various approaches and concepts in assessing the phenomenon of the global city. Assessment of current Canadian and comparative cases and settings provides a basis for this examination, as does the various stages of the policy cycle.

URB 660 - Transportation and Urban Development (4)

Explores the relationships between mobility, economic activity, and social interaction that influence urban development. Topics considered will include the spatial dynamics underlying travel behavior, the vehicle and infrastructure technology used in meeting mobility needs, the organizations that deliver transportation services and the public policies that govern an urban transportation system.

URB 663 - Diversity and Equity in Cities (4)

Explores diversity and equity in cities from an urban studies perspective. Examining how different social and identity markers (ethnicity, religion, race, gender, class, sexuality, disability or language) shape cities. The primary focus is Canada, but the course also takes a comparative perspective and looks at these issues outside of Canada. Students with credit for URB 463 or POL 463 may not take this course for further credit.

URB 665 - Urban Housing Policy (4)

Examination of the roles of housing in an urban society, the evolution of urban housing policy in Canada, the policies that shape the existing housing system, and proposals for modifying housing policies and programs. The role of affordable housing as an essential component of a sustainable community will be emphasized.

URB 670 - Urban Research Methods (4)

Offers a tip-to-all approach to researching urban public policy problems, from imagining projects, to gathering interpreting data and presenting findings to the public. The emphasis of this program is for students to be able to understand the work of others and design their own studies. In addition to this, students are trained in how to apply descriptive statistics such as means, measures of spread and cross-tabulation. Students wishing to deepen their quantitative skills, such as multivariate, qualitative or spatial analysis, will be encouraged to take advanced programs offered in affiliated departments.

URB 675 - Urban Economic Development (4)

Reviews several traditional and contemporary theories of urban economic development, exploring the historical context, content and policy implications of each.

URB 691 - International Field Studies (6)

Fieldwork based study of a selected city, including its built form, policy initiatives and events. Emphasis is placed on experiential learning approaches, learning across cultures and contexts, team-based work and relationship building.

URB 692 - Urban Innovation Lab (6)

lmmersive field course in organizational change processes with external urban laboratory organization. Students will learn and apply understandings of urban innovation, systemic and transformational change, and sustainability transitions. The course consists of lectures, discussions and exercises, intensive reading, extensive time in the field, and preparing a team-based project. Prerequisite: Enrollment in either GDUS or MURB or permission of instructor. Students with credit for URB 499 may not take this course for further credit.

URB 693 - Directed Readings I (2)

Supervised readings in an aspect of urban studies. Enrolment in URB 693 requires the prior approval of the Urban Studies Graduate Program Committee.

URB 694 - Directed Readings II (4)

Supervised readings in an aspect of urban studies. Enrolment in URB 694 requires the prior approval of the Urban Studies Graduate Program Committee.

URB 695 - Selected Topics in Urban Studies (4)

This course provides an opportunity for students to study one or more urban studies topics that lie beyond the scope of the other courses. This course will normally provide a more research-intensive experience than other graduate urban studies courses.

URB 696 - Seminar in Urban Studies (4)

In-depth study of two or three areas of urban studies with particular attention to (1) the contributions of various disciplines and (2) the development of a proposal for research to explore a suitable area of particular interest to the student. Where feasible, students will be involved with external organizations in developing their research proposal. Prerequisite: 16 units of course work, including URB 670. If the grade received in URB 670 is lower than A-, supervisor permission is required. This may require completion of remedial work.

URB 697 - Research Project (4)

A research project on some aspect of urban studies supervised by a faculty member with the participation of a supervisory committee. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: URB 696 with a grade of A- or higher. Students who receive a B+ in URB 696 may enroll for URB 697 with permission of their senior supervisor.

URB 699 - Research Project Completion (2)

Completion of a research project on some aspect of urban studies supervised by a faculty member with the participation of a supervisory committee. This course is intended for students who do not complete URB 697 within one month of the end of the term in which they are enrolled in it. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: URB 697.

URB 701 - Co-operative Education I

The first term of work experience in the Urban Studies Program's Co-operative Education Program for M.URB students. Units of this course do not count towards the units required for a Simon Fraser University degree. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the M.URB program with a CGPA of at least of 3.0.

URB 702 - Co-operative Education II

A second term of work experience in the Urban Studies Program's Co-Operative Education Program for M.URB students. Units of this course do not count towards the units required for a Simon Fraser Univeristy degree. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Cooperative Education Practicum I and a CGPA of at least 3.0.