About Urban Studies

We are located in the heart of downtown Vancouver and use our neighbourhood, city and region as living laboratories.

Our interdisciplinary faculty includes geographers, public policy scholars, political scientists, historians, economists and anthropologists whose teaching and research interests lie both within and outside Metro Vancouver, and who straddle both theory and practice.

The students we attract have diverse academic and professional backgrounds, which makes for robust, dynamic classroom environments where we explore the many different ways to read, understand and analyze the city.

After graduation, our students find rich and rewarding career opportunities in a range of urban professions. They often work as planners or in other professional positions for local (and other) governments, consulting firms, public agencies, non-profits, crown corporations and private development companies. They pursue urban-related careers in research, public relations, community engagement, policy development, elected office, property management, the arts and culture, and recreation and sport. 

To learn more about the work our graduates do, check out our alumni profiles.

Program Newsletter

Check out our latest newsletter to learn about events, students and faculty. We publish the Urban Studies newsletter about five times a year. 

If you would like to receive it by email, please contact the department manager: urban@sfu.ca