2021 Fall
CYPLAN 118AC 001 - LEC 001
The Urban Community
Ricardo G Huerta, Renee Roy Elias
Aug 25, 2021 - Dec 10, 2021
Tu, Th
09:30 am - 10:59 am
Internet/Online
Class #:20804
Units:4
Instruction Mode:
Online
Time Conflict Enrollment Allowed
Offered through
City and Regional Planning
Current Enrollment
Total Open Seats:
32
Enrolled: 68
Waitlisted: 0
Capacity: 100
Waitlist Max: 40
Open Reserved Seats:
24 reserved for Urban Studies Majors with 3 or more Terms in Attendance
5 reserved for Students with Enrollment Permission
16 reserved for College of Environmental Design Students with 3 or more Terms in Attendance
Hours & Workload
3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials, 8 hours of outside work hours, and 1 hours of the exchange of opinions or questions on course material.
Course Catalog Description
This course looks at the idea and practice of community in cities and suburbs and at the dynamics of neighborhood and community formation. Topics include urban social geography, ethnicity, and identity, residential choice behavior, the political economy of neighborhoods, planning for neighborhoods and civic engagement. Instructors emphasize different topics. Class size limits depend on the instructor.
Class Description
The course examines the policies, politics, social forces, and urban morphology that have shaped contemporary urban life and urban communities in the United States as well as the various theories that have attempted to explain the urban experience. The course draws from planning theory as well as sociology, development studies, geography, ethnic studies and anthropology to examine the larger structural factors that have shaped the economic, political, and social environments of urban communities. It provides students with an understanding of how these factors have shaped the lives, cultures, opportunities, values and inter-group relations of various identity groups, including racial and ethnic communities. The course also examines how the physical and spatial landscapes of the urban experience affect access to resources and opportunities.
The course is divided into three sections. The first section of the course, History of Urban Communities, Policies and Suburbanization, takes a historical and theoretical look at the origins and development of cities, as well as what an urban community is, how it is formed, and it has evolved over time. We cover key urban theories related to metropolitan development and migration patterns of identity groups, principally ethnic and racial communities. This section also covers the origins and rise of suburbanization, examining economic and political forces, and analyzing the impact of segregation, urban policies and social forces on Communities of Color and low-income communities. The second section, Identity, Community & Inequality, provides an examination of concepts of race and identity and a review of the US experience as a nation of immigrants, emphasizing the spatial patterns of migration and settlement. The section will delve into the Latino experience as a case study of the ways in which communities have experienced the city, how they have shaped urban life, including politics and culture, and the ways in which scholars have theorized these experiences in urban theory. The final section, Geography of Opportunity and Place Matters, focuses on key urban issues facing a variety of communities including education, economic opportunities, housing, health and sustainability. The section provides an examination of the history of these issues in the urban context as well as the challenges. It also emphasizes opportunities in the fields and case studies of communities that have engaged these issues successfully. Throughout the course several themes will consistently inform the curriculum. Among these are a vision for the multicultural city, sustainability, equity, successful models and approaches as well as a lens for race, class, gender and sexual orientation.
Class Notes
The "Time Conflict Allowance" is set to allow students to enroll initially while they are working on their schedules. The actual time conflict will not be allowed in this class.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat Rules
Course is not repeatable for credit.
Requirements class fulfills
Meets Social & Behavioral Sciences, L&S Breadth
American Cultures Requirement
Reserved Seats
Current Enrollment
Open Reserved Seats:
24 reserved for Urban Studies Majors with 3 or more Terms in Attendance
5 reserved for Students with Enrollment Permission
16 reserved for College of Environmental Design Students with 3 or more Terms in Attendance
Textbooks & Materials
See class syllabus or https://calstudentstore.berkeley.edu/textbooks for the most current information.
Guide to Open, Free, & Affordable Course Materials