TNDY 407V - Urban Studies

Cities represent about 2% of the world’s area, 50% of the world’s population, 75% of the world’s energy consumption, 80% of the worlds carbon emissions. This class will ground students in an understanding of: the development of cities, aspects of the contemporary city, basic understanding of systems thinking and the urban system, how cities are believed to grow (or not), and how we might measure the complex known as “cities.” Once we have those foundations, we will turn to a variety of topical urban policy issues, including environmental justice, public safety, public health, housing, etc., and how recent research addresses such urban policy issues. Studying cities is inherently transdisciplinary since the city is a complex system of systems—the economic system, the governmental system, the transportation system, the environmental system, the social system, the public health system.
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar