Week 3 (Sep 7-12) : What was the role and possibility of urban housing in the industrial age? What was the states responsibility to its poorest citizens (if it had any)? How did capital, labor and form interact to meet or fail to meet the needs of citizens for shelter?
Discuss these questions in two paragraphs using Mumfords and Engels articles. Finish your reflections with a discussion question so that your classmates can have a chance to engage.
Week 4 (Sep 13 – 19): Discuss one of the following questions in 2 paragraphs (due Friday night). As always finish with a question to then participate in discussions with your classmates (due Sunday night).
1) How did New York City come to be the largest city in the United States?
2) What were the consequences of the development of transportation technology in New York?
(*cite assigned readings in your answers if you want to receive full points)
Week 5 (Sep 20 – 26): Pick one of the below questions and discuss it in two paragraphs (write 400-600 words).
1) What are the differing perspectives about the formation of cities?
2) How do the cities grow according to different urban theories?
You have to use citations while answering either question.
(Needless to say, you will participate in discussions after your first posts.)
Week 6 (Sep 27 -Oct 3) Options Menu: Forum
What causes uneven development to occur within a metropolitan region? What are the effects of uneven development on urban growth? What are some of the examples of uneven development that you can see within New York City or the other metropolitan regions where you currently live?
Discuss these questions in two paragraphs using Harveys and Logan &Molotchs articles.
Week 7 (Oct 4-10): Pick one of the below questions and discuss it in two paragraphs.
1) What are the political economic conditions that led to world/global cities?
2) What is the World City hypothesis, according to Friedmann (1986)?
3) What are the typical social structures in a global city?
Week 8 (Oct 11-17) : Discuss one of the following questions in 2 paragraphs.
1) Which features of slums are most problematic from an urban economist vs. urban planner’s point of view? Are these features the same when assuming a political perspective?
2) What policy recommendations can you think of for solving the current crisis of the slums and for improving the livelihoods of informal city dwellers? How can urban renewal projects become a sustainable solution for the poor people?
Week 10 (Oct 25 – 31): Discuss one of the following questions in two paragraphs:
1) What are the benefits and costs of land-use regulations such as inclusionary zoning for urban growth and sustainability?
2) Do you think the sustainable urban transport model suggested in the reading by Lazer et al (2020) is feasible in a city like NYC? Discuss the potential pitfalls and drawbacks that can be encountered with their implementation. (Feel free to cite outside resources on Green New Deal model as well.)
Week 11 (Nov 1-7) Options Menu: Forum
Discuss one of the following questions in two paragraphs:
(1) What is the culture of poverty argument? How does it explain the urban poverty and why is it problematic according to our readings?
(2) Does spatial mismatch explain economic poverty? Evidence has been mixed about this. Discuss different perspectives based on your readings.
Week 12 (Nov 8-14): In your posts this week, discuss the below questions in 2 paragraphs:
What are the limits to gentrification as described in David Harveys video? (Link to the video is inside the Lecture notes.)
And what economic regulations can you think of to ease the problems caused by gentrification (i.e. rent control)?
Week 13 (Nov 16 – 22): What must be done according to W.J. Wilson to alleviate the social and economic consequences of joblessness and racial inequalities?
Discuss at least two of his proposals in your posts.
Week 14+ (Nov 22 – Dec 5): You’re not required to write discussion posts on the Thankgiving week (yay!). Discuss one of the following questions in two paragraphs in your discussion posts by Friday, December 3rd and response posts by Sunday, December 5th.
1) According to Wacquant, how does the experience of racial minority status differ in French and American urban places? Discuss in two paragraphs what these differences imply in terms of public policies.
2) What is “creative class” according to Richard Florida? How have they transformed the cities until the pandemic? What are Richard Florida’s projections about the future of post-pandemic cities regarding urban segregation and economic inequalities?
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