Elizabeth Lobb

Professor of Geography
Office Hours: Tu/Th 8:30-930am; Zoom Th 6-7pm

Office: 26D 2481L
Phone: 909-274-5775
Email: elobb@mtsac.edu
Homepage: https://faculty.mtsac.edu/elobb

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Spring 2020 Syllabus

Geography 8: Urban Geography

Singapore
Can you guess this mystery city?

What is Geography?
What is Geography?

Course Description:

While this course is an introduction to the study of Urban Geography, its focus is interdisciplinary, including the study of all things ‘urban’—both cities and their suburbs--and how they have evolved and changed over time. Like the cities it studies, the discipline of urban studies is sprawling and complex and this course can only serve as an introduction to theories and explanation of the uniquely urban experience of humans. I hope this course inspires you to become more engaged with, and curious about, the urban (and suburban) places you live in and that surround you.

This course employs both a global and historical perspective while paying special attention to our local Los Angeles metropolitan area. As one of the most important cities, the course examines the local and global context of Los Angeles as a ‘world city.’ This course will examine cities as complex social groupings of people, as well as landscapes of buildings and public and private spaces. The course examines both what cities are and have been (the evolving urban experience of the past and present) and to the ever-changing ideas about what cities should be (urban planning and design for the future).

Textbook

There is no textbook for the course. The only required materials are Edward Glaeser's book Triumph of the City, Penguin Publisher.

Syllabus

Syllabus, Fall 2021

Calendar of Assignments

Wk/Date	Topics/Assigned Readings/Homework	Major Assignments and Deadlines
Wk 1	Intro to cities and how we study them Readings: Intro & chapter 1 (Glaeser)
Wk 2	Cities and globalization Readings: Intro & chapter 1 (Glaeser)	Map quiz 1
Wk 3	The social geography of cities Readings: Intro & chapter 1 (Glaeser)	Quiz 1
Wk 4	Urban Morphology Readings: chapters 5 & 6 (Glaeser)	Glaeser Paper 1
Wk 5	Exam 1	Exam 1
Wk 6	Cities before industrialization Readings: chapters 5 & 6
Wk 7	North American urban systems Readings: chapters 2 & 4 (Glaeser)	Map quiz 2 Glaeser Paper 2
Wk 8	Rise of the industrial, modern cityReadings: Glaeser 2 & 4	Quiz 2
Wk 9	Urban Planning--responses to the industrial cityReadings: Glaeser 2 & 4	Map quiz 3
Wk 10	Exam 2: bring a Blue Book
Wk 11	Urban sprawl: the galactic metropolis Readings: chapters 6 & 7 (Glaeser)
Wk 12	Urban planning II--responses to sprawl Readings: chapters 3, 9 and conclusion
Wk 13	Urban Renewal: Blight vs Slum Readings: chapters 3, 9 and conclusion
Wk 14	The Segregated American Dream Readings: chapters 3, 9 and conclusion Downtown Los Angeles Field Trip
Wk 15	The Segregated American Dream Readings: chapters 3, 9 and conclusion
Dec. 9	Final Exam 10:30am - 1:00pm Bring a Blue Book