Urban Specialist and China Scholar

URSP/GEOG/INTL 340 World Cities Outside of North America

This course introduces students to the world system of cities and the process of urbanization. It examines the role of cities in the development of a variety of geographical regions outside of North America . The course will pay attention to the similarities and differences in cities, focusing on their historical evolution, internal structure and land use patterns, distinctive characteristics, and urban problems and solutions. Multi-media will be used to complement lectures and discussions on each region. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the preconditions for urbanization to take place,
  • Analyze why urbanization proceeds at different pace in different world regions,
  • Become knowledgeable of the evolution of the urban system and the latest urbanization trends in each world region outside of North America ,
  • Understand the common urban problems confronting many world cities,
  • Become familiar with models of internal urban structure and how they may be manifested in different world cities, and
  • Become familiar with a comprehensive set of tools for understanding the urban landscape.

URSP/GEOG/INTL 340 Syllabus (Spring 2007)
URSP/GEOG/INTL 340 Lists of Important Topics
URSP/GEOG/INTL 340 Blank Regional Maps