URP 700, Section 1

This is an intensive reading seminar on urban theory, with an emphasis on urban intellectual history and critical social theory. This course is required for doctoral planning students. Students from other degree programs across campus are also encouraged to attend, as well as advanced Masters students interested in deepening their theoretical understanding of cities, urbanization and spatial development.  Readings cover classic texts in urban theory (German and Chicago Schools of urban sociology), important late 20th Century writers (e.g., Harvey, Lefebvre, Castells), and emergent themes in 21st century urban theory (e.g., global cities, urban political ecology, urbanism in the Anthropocene, postcolonialism, cyber/digital/virtual urbanism, planetary urbanism, critical social geography, etc.). This course is taught in even years, alternating with URP701 (Epistemology and Reasoning for Planning Research) which is offered in odd years.