UBST 225 — Urbanisms Global
This course will examine urban issues and the processes of urbanization in an international context. Topics and themes explored will include: the influence of globalization on cities worldwide, and the influential position of cities in the process of globalization (from colonialism to transnational neo liberalization); the significance of cities for addressing the issue of global climate change; comparative perspectives on how cities internationally address pressing challenges such as transportation, housing, and economic development in a post-Fordist economy; the roles of different cities in a global economy: from command and control centers to the rapidly growing megacities of the global south; historical perspectives on global urban development, including the role of certain cities in anchoring and shaping culturally, politically, and economically significant geographic regions; uneven development within and among world cities, and the relationship between urbanization and economic and social inequality; comparative perspectives on the cultural dimensions of urbanism and urbanization; and the role that culture has in shaping the governance, design, and function of cities worldwide.