Urban Studies
- AAS 268/HIS 268/URB 268: Introduction to African American History Since EmancipationThis lecture offers an introduction to the major themes, critical questions, and pivotal moments in post-emancipation African American history. It traces the social, political, cultural, intellectual, and legal contours of the Black experience in the United States from Reconstruction to the rise of Jim Crow, through the World Wars, Depression, and the Great Migrations, to the long civil rights era and the contemporary period of racial politics. Using a wide variety of texts, images, and creative works, the course situates African American history within broader national and international contexts.
- ARC 205/URB 205/LAS 225/ENV 205: Interdisciplinary Design StudioThe course focuses on the social forces that shape design thinking. Its objective is to introduce architectural and urban design issues to build design and critical thinking skills from a multidisciplinary perspective. The studio is team-taught from faculty across disciplines to expose students to the multiple forces within which design operates.
- CEE 471/GEO 471/URB 471: Introduction to Water Pollution TechnologyAn introduction to the science of water quality management and pollution control in natural systems; fundamentals of biological and chemical transformations in natural waters; indentification of sources of pollution; water and wastewater treatment methods; fundamentals of water quality modeling.
- EGR 361/ENT 361/URB 361/AAS 348: The Reclamation Studio: Humanistic Design applied to Systemic BiasAssumptions and practices by the nonprofit industrial complex, government agencies and affordable housing developers treat poor communities, especially poor communities of color as problems to be managed by those from outside these communities. The Reclamation Studio explores the humanistic design practices applied by social entrepreneurs from low-status communities near Princeton (our "clients") that counteract that history of systemic bias with innovative development projects designed to retain the talent from within their communities. Students will have the opportunity to learn from, and contribute to their efforts.
- FRE 318/URB 318/COM 386/ARC 319: Montréal: Metropolis, Colony, Mountain, HarborHow did Montreal become the world's second-largest French-speaking city? How has its unique multicultural identity inspired generations of explorers, artists, architects, dancers, dramaturgs, and filmmakers? Spanning from its origins as Tiohtià:ke ("Where the waters meet") to New France and today's Créole-and Yiddish-speaking scenes, this course explores the city's cultural, environmental, architectural, and political history. We will examine colonialism, immigration, displacement, Québec-Canada relations, Francophonie, identity, religion, language, ecology, gender, queerness, and race in the 'Paris of North America'.
- HIS 315/AFS 316/URB 315/AAS 315: Africa in the Modern AgeThis course is an examination of the major political and economic trends in twentieth-century African history. It offers an interpretation of modern African history and the sources of its present predicament. In particular, we study the foundations of the colonial state, the legacy of the late colonial state (the period before independence), the rise and problems of resistance and nationalism, the immediate challenges of the independent states (such as bureaucracy and democracy), the more recent crises (such as debt and civil wars) on the continent, and the latest attempts to address these challenges from within the continent.
- SOC 373/AMS 428/URB 373: Systemic Racism: Myths and RealitiesThis course focuses on the structural and institutional foundations of racial discrimination in the United States. It emphasizes the contributions of sociologists. The course gives a historical overview followed by an investigation of key legislative actions and economic factors inhibiting racial equality. Subsequent topics include migration and immigration; urban development; and residential segregation. The end of the course reviews resistance movements and policies aimed at addressing systemic racism, including restorative justice and reparations.
- SPA 227/EPS 227/URB 237: Contemporary Issues in SpainAn exploration of the major features of contemporary Spain from 1939 to the present with particular attention to developing an understanding the concepts of cultural identity and difference within the changing global context. The course will address the recent processes that have left a mark on the history of Spain: the fall of Francoism, the particular and controversial transition to democracy, the financial crisis of 2008, the Indignados social movement, the nationalist trends in Basque Country and Catalonia, and the latest feminist wave, among others. Discussions and frequent writing assignments.
- SPI 328/URB 328: Crime and Violence in U.S. CitiesTo understand American inequality, politics, history, and cities, it is necessary to understand American violence. This course will cover ideas about how to explain violence, moving from theories that focus on individuals to focus on neighborhoods, policing, guns & culture. We'll think about how to explain trends in violence and about ways cities can respond to violence. And we will put these ideas into practice by working closely with a local organization driven by the goals of reducing violence and building stronger neighborhoods in nearby Trenton.
- THR 212/AMS 212/GSS 222/URB 212: Performance & PolicyThis course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to how performance-making intersects with local, state, federal, and international policy concerns (and vice versa). Through lecture, workshops, and guest visitors, we will examine connections between policy and performance within four central topical arenas: public speech; public assembly; intellectual property; and supply chain logistics. As we study the impact of policy on a broad array of live, embodied, and mediatized performances, we will also rehearse an understanding of statecraft, public advocacy/protest, and policy-making as consequential modes of public enactment and performance
- URB 300/ARC 300/HUM 300/AMS 300: Urban Studies Research SeminarThis seminar introduces urban studies research methods through a study of New York in conversation with other cities. Focused on communities and landmarks represented in historical accounts, literary works, art and film, we will travel through cityscapes as cultural and mythological spaces - from the past to the present day. We will examine how standards of evidence shape what is knowable about cities and urban life, what "counts" as knowledge in urban studies, and how these different disciplinary perspectives construct and limit knowledge about cities as a result.
- URB 385/SOC 385/HUM 385/ARC 385: Mapping GentrificationThis seminar introduces the study of gentrification, with a focus on mapping projects using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software. Readings, films, and site visits will situate the topic, as the course examines how racial landscapes of gentrification, culture and politics have been influenced by and helped drive urban change. Tutorials in ArcGIS will allow students to convert observations of urban life into fresh data and work with existing datasets. Learn to read maps critically, undertake multifaceted spatial analysis, and master new cartographic practices associated with emerging scholarship in the Digital and Urban Humanities.