Urban Geography of Space and Place

Urban geography is very broad and diverse subject area within the larger subject of geography. Some university departments even feature a separate major in the are of urban geography, sometimes referred to as “urban studies.” Just like all forms of geographical inquiry, however, there are very foundational concepts that must be understood and put to work in order to engage in it. Space and place are two such foundational concepts. Truckloads of ink have been spilt by some of the world’s foremost thinkers on these very difficult concepts. Now we will add our own thinking to the mix. There will be a lot of room for creative and critical inquiry in this course. It will not be easy! However, it will also not be based purely upon how much you retain. To the contrary, a good performance in this class will be made evident through critical discourse with your fellow students, a series of short writings and commentaries, and a final overview paper that will make you a bit of an expert on one of the key themes we study. Finally, this module will prepare you very well for doing higher level geography and sociology work in the future!