URB 340 - Contemporary Urban Problems (4 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
Urban centers like New York City are very complex and diverse, increasingly affected by globalization, and always in a state of flux. While this description conveys the vitality and energy of cities, it also points to a host of challenges faced by city dwellers and communities as well as civic institutions, service providers, and local government. This course explores the major challenges faced by U.S. cities in light of population shifts, widening disparities in income and wealth, restructuring of work, persistent unemployment, and diminishing resources for low-income and working-class populations. Though the majority of this course will focus primarily on urban issues in the US, the course will highlight a comparative selection of urban problems in developing nations.