* New course

URB 610-4 Urban Design: Integrating Theory and Practice

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 620-4 Urban Communities and Cultures

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 social system, and urban communities and cultures.

URB 630-4 Urban Development, Planning, and Policy

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

URB 640-4 Urban Regions and Urban Change

The aim is to develop a perspective on the study of urbanization by applying systematic approaches to specific regional and case contexts. Major theoretical and conceptual themes will be reviewed. Some emphasis will be placed upon the Canadian experience in order to develop a common ground among members of the course and some emphasis will also be placed upon the United States and Western Europe because of the dominance of those collective urban experiences and literatures.

URB 645-4* Urban Sustainable Development

What does sustainable development mean for cities? Via case studies from Vancouver and around the world, students will seek to understand how urban sustainable development initiatives are developed, designed, and implemented. Special attention will be paid to the importance of sustainable development and linkages between issues related to economic development, social justice, and environmental conservation and protection.

URB 650-4 Urban Governance

This course is intended to confront students with many of the current administrative, policy, intergovernmental 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 focus is on urban Canada but comparative cases will be drawn from the United States, the EU, Asia, and other jurisdictions.

URB 655-4* Global Cities

Provides a conceptual foundation for assessing the phenomenon of the Global City. It offers a theoretical basis for this analysis and case studies, based on existing research for understanding how cities function in the globalized environment. Students will learn about possible advantages and impediments to municipal international activity, in Canada and comparatively.

URB 660-4 Economy, Land Use and Transportation in Cities

An introduction to urban economics, and the economic functions and spatial structure of cities. The course concentrates on why and how cities grow and the influence of public policy on the economies of cities. This course includes examination of the relationships between urban transportation and land use and their influence on such phenomena as urban sprawl.

URB 665-4* Urban Housing Policy

An 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 670-4* Urban Research Methods

Offers a tip-to-tail approach to researching urban public policy problems - from imagining projects, to gathering interpreting data and presenting findings to the public. The emphasis is for students to be able to understand the work of others and design their own studies. In addition to his training students are trained in how to apply descriptive statistics such as means, measures of spread and crosstabulation.

URB 680-4* Managing Cities

Examines theories of public management in an urban context—how governments allocate resources, distribute income and regulate public enterprise—in both pure and applied contexts. Theory is illustrated using examples from the municipalities within the Greater Vancouver Regional District and other Canadian and international cities.

URB 685-4* Health Status and Health Policy in Urban Canada

The focus is the distribution of health status within urban centers in Canada, and related health policy developments. The course will emphasize the systematic nature of health status distribution, the historical pattern of health inequality, emerging analyses of the role of ‘place’ in shaping health patterns, housing and health, and attempts to reformulate social policy in urban contexts to address‘ social determinants’ of health inequality in Canada.

URB 690-4 The City in Art, Culture and Politics

The city has long been a subject of, and site for, cultural reflection. This course recognizes that cultural and political ideas are not context-free. The course focuses on modern and postmodern thought and their relation to the evolving city.

URB 693-2* Directed Readings I

URB 694-4* Directed Readings II

URB 695-4 Selected Topics in Urban Studies

Provides an opportunity for students to study one or more urban topics that lie beyond the scope of the other courses.

URB 696-4* Seminar in Urban Studies

In-depth study of two or three areas of urban studies with particular attention to the contributions of various disciplines and the development of a proposal for research to explore a suitable area of particular interest to the student. Where feasible, students will work with external organizations in developing their research proposal.

URB 697-4* Research Project

URB 699-2* Research Project Completion