Urban and Regional Studies
Interdisciplinary Major or Minor
(Bachelor of Arts)
Urban and Regional Studies develops individuals who want to make a difference in their community: a difference in what happens to older neighborhoods in transition, a difference in what happens as new suburban communities are planned and built, a difference in the lives and well-being of persons across metropolitan and rural regions. It offers undergraduates an opportunity to become familiar with concepts that will be useful whether they become community organizers, lawyers, city or regional planners, architects, teachers, economic development specialists, journalists, city managers, or enter careers in business and real estate.
Urban and Regional Studies offers students an opportunity to develop the insight, knowledge, and technical skills needed to deal effectively with the far-reaching challenges of contemporary urban society. It prepares students to become educated world citizens through a solid foundation of core courses emphasizing skills and tool subjects, broad introductory courses at the freshman and sophomore level, and more demanding courses at the junior and senior level which explores topics at a greater depth.
Faculty bring together urban and regional perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including economics, ethnic studies, physical and human geography, political science, and sociology. Urban and Regional Studies faculty have traveled widely and have lived and conducted research in many countries outside of the United States. In addition to teaching in the program, faculty are active in applied work in Northeast Wisconsin, working with community and grass-roots organizations, participating in city and county task forces and planning committees, and consulting for government and international agencies.
Students should meet with the faculty adviser in Urban and Regional Studies to discuss their academic and career interests. Students are encouraged to select courses which emphasize particular areas within the program, including community economic development, ethnic studies, and urban and regional planning. Internships in this program are especially encouraged, as are applied research projects in the Urban and Regional Studies laboratory and in independent study courses, as well. Internship experiences have proven to be an important enhancement to graduate school applications, and they also increase opportunities for employment after graduation.
This interdisciplinary major also provides excellent preparation for graduate study in master’s and doctoral programs such as architecture, geography, political science, public administration, public policy, sociology, urban and regional planning, urban studies, economic development and related fields.
Urban and Regional Studies majors are encouraged to enroll in travel and study abroad programs. The department offers travel courses to Italy, the Ecuadorean Andes and Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands. These travel courses are developed with Urban and Regional Studies students in mind. For more information, please contact Urban and Regional Studies faculty directly, and or see the Urban and Regional Studies website. Students may study abroad (for semester or year long) or at other campuses in the United States through UW-Green Bay’s participation in international exchange programs and the National Student Exchange. For more information on these programs contact the Office of International Education at (920) 465-2190 or see http://www.uwgb.edu/international/ .
The following is a curriculum guide for a four-year Urban and Regional Studies degree program and is subject to change without notice. Students should consult a Urban and Regional Studies program advisor to ensure that they have the most accurate and up-to-date information available about a particular four-year degree option.
Earl R Hutchison; Professor; Ph.D., University of Chicago
Marcelo P Cruz; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of California - Los Angeles
Thomas S Nesslein; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Washington - Seattle, chair
Courses
UR RE ST 100. Introduction to Urban and Regional Studies. 3 Credits.
Examines the richness and complexity of the human experience in modern cities and their broader regional context. The city is seen as an arena in which interrelationships between enduring human concerns and social institutions are expressed and asks how the city influences these interrelationships. Likewise, in what manner do established institutions and concerns influence the city and the broader regional areas of which they are a part? This course is an exploration of cities and their broader institutional contexts evolve over time.
Fall and Spring.
UR RE ST 102. World Regions and Concepts: A Geographic Analysis. 3 Credits.
Contemporary geography, its viewpoints and methodology; geographic reality of the present-day world is analyzed through case studies using both the regional approach and systematic analysis.
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 198. First Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
Reserved for New Incoming Freshman
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 201. City Life and Globalization. 3 Credits.
The course explores the effect of globalization on people, specifically on urban processes worldwide. This course is comparative in nature and will explore global processes as they challenge people living in urban areas worldwide. The course explores different survival strategies on how to make cities better for a majority of the people.
Spring.
UR RE ST 205. Urban Social Problems. 3 Credits.
The course offers a basic introduction to the history, sociology, geography, economics, and politics of U.S. urban problems; examines specific problems such as jobs, housing, and public finance; and considers future prospects.
Fall and Spring.
UR RE ST 210. Drawing Systems for the Designer. 3 Credits.
The theory and practical application of various drawing systems, including orthographic, axiometrics, and perspectives, and their use as aids in the design process.
P: none; REC: ART 106.
UR RE ST 216. Native American Landscapes:Imagined and Lived Spaces. 3 Credits.
The course will explore the relationship between time and space within Native American cultures. The course will compare North American indigenous landscapes and Andean indigenous landscapes.
UR RE ST 299. Travel Course. 1-4 Credits.
Travel courses are conducted to various parts of the world and are led by one or more faculty members. May be repeated to different locations.
P: cons of instr & prior trip arr & financial deposit.
UR RE ST 305. Urban Politics and Policy. 3 Credits.
Structures and operations of city governments and their responses to policy issues such as education, employment, social welfare, housing, transportation, migration, racial discrimination, urban sprawl and social inequality.
P: jr st; and POL SCI 101 or UR RE ST 100.
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 309. Urban and Regional Economics. 3 Credits.
Basic concepts in the economics of regions and urban areas, such as industrial location theory, central place theory, land rent theory, economic base theory, and input-output analysis; applications to problems of economic development, urbanization and place prosperity.
P: ECON 203 and jr st; REC: ECON 202.
Spring.
UR RE ST 310. Urban Sociology. 3 Credits.
The study of social life and population groups in the urban environment. Our concern is with the social and psychological consequences of city life and the political and economic forces which have produced the industrial and corporate cities of the present day. Other topics include theories of "community," the location of industrial and commercial areas, the distribution of racial and ethnic groups, and urban problems such as poverty, housing, and public services.
P: jr st; and UR RE ST 100 or PU EN AF 202 or POL SCI 202 or SOCIOL 202.
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 312. Community Politics. 3 Credits.
This course emphasizes the historical dimensions of community politics in the U.S. It also explores the role of grass roots social movements in shaping local politics.
P: none; REC: POL SCI 101.
Spring.
UR RE ST 313. The City Through Time and Space. 3 Credits.
Analysis of human settlement and the influence of social, economic and technological change on urban structure and the aesthetic qualities of city scapes in historical and cross-cultural settings.
P: jr st; and UR RE ST 100 or 341 or GEOG 341.
Spring.
UR RE ST 320. Cities in Cinema. 3 Credits.
This course explores the relationship between cinema and research themes in Urban Studies with an overreaching emphasis on global/world cities. These cities are the pinnacle of the global urban network and are the "hubs of economic control, production and trade, of information circulation and cultural transmission, and of political power" (The Dictionary of Human Geography). In this course, related interdisciplinary readings serve as the framework for viewing, analyzing, critiquing, and discussion urban lifestyles, political economic structures and relationships, and the built environment as portrayed in popular films.
P: None REC: UR RE ST 100
Spring Odd.
UR RE ST 323. Asian American Communities in the United States. 3 Credits.
Review of Asian immigration to the United States; formation of ethnic communities; prejudice and discrimination against Asian groups; and current issues affecting Asian Americans.
P: jr st; and ANTHRO 100 or Hum Stud 211 or SOCIOL 202 or 203 or UR RE ST 100.
Spring Odd.
UR RE ST 324. Latino Communities in the United States. 3 Credits.
Review of Hispanic immigration to the United States; formation of ethnic communities; diversity of Hispanic ethnic groups; and current issues affecting Hispanics such as immigration policy and bilingual education.
P: jr st; and ANTHRO 100 or SOCIOL 202 or 203 or UR RE ST 100.
Spring Odd.
UR RE ST 340. Economics of Land Use. 3 Credits.
Economic relationships between humans and land. Principles governing land use and conservation and the institutional arrangements of this basic resource. Application of principles in policy-making in land valuation, taxation and zoning in the context of regional economic development.
Spring.
UR RE ST 341. The City and its Regional Context. 3 Credits.
The course will focus on two main interrelated themes in urban geography. It will explore urban places as systems operating as en entity among other cities and the surrounding region. Second, it will explore social construction of urban morphology.
P: jr st.
Spring.
UR RE ST 342. Community Economic Development. 3 Credits.
Various forces involved in community economic development, including the human and non human resource potentials, motivation, values and attitudes. Examines social and economic structures such as transportation, communication, and community services from the point of view of community development.
P: jr st; and ECON 202 or 203.
Spring Odd.
UR RE ST 351. Transportation and the City. 3 Credits.
The impact of the transportation subsystem of the city upon other urban subsystems (residential, commercial) and upon urban dwellers.
P: jr st; and POL SCI 101 or 202 or PU EN AF 202 or UR RE ST 100.
Fall Odd.
UR RE ST 360. GIS and the Urban World. 3 Credits.
This course applies geographic information systems (GIS) techniques to real-world urban problems in the context of pertinent theoretical foundations. It is designed to provide a background in GIS-based spatial analysis approaches and develop an understanding of the operational basis of GIS technology while furthering the comprehension of the urban problems themselves.
P: GEOG 250 or PU EN AF 250
Spring.
UR RE ST 370. Geography of South America. 3 Credits.
A survey course which will explore the physical features, resources, people, and the political economy of the American southern hemisphere.
P: jr st; REC: ENV SCI 102 or GEOG 222.
Fall Even.
UR RE ST 392. Analysis of South Asia. 3 Credits.
Regions of South Asian countries in various stages of development. Emphasis on the interaction of physical and human resources.
P: jr st.
Fall Odd.
UR RE ST 412. Urban and Regional Planning. 3 Credits.
Examines planning theory, focusing on models of rationality, valuation processes, political decision-making, governmental structure and fiscal policies.
P: jr st; and GEOG 102 or POL SCI 202 or PU EN AF 202 or UR RE ST 100 or 102; REC: POL SCI 101.
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 431. Seminar in Urban and Regional Studies. 3 Credits.
A capstone course intended to promote understanding of ethics in urban and regional planning, community politics, economic development, and other areas of urban and regional studies. Scholarly and intellectual discussion of community career and volunteer opportunities. Guidance provided for preparing professional resume documentation and engaging in job search activities.
P: Ur Re St major/minor; min 100 completed credits
Fall Only.
UR RE ST 452. Planning Theory and Methods. 3 Credits.
Planning for public and not-for-profit agencies: theory and practical significance of planning; the political and administrative setting of planning operations; and methods of planning analysis such as strategic planning.
P: BUS ADM 216 or COMM SCI 205 or MATH 260
Fall Even.
UR RE ST 454. Designing Communities and Neighborhoods. 3 Credits.
The main objective of the course is to allow students to engage and critically assess design elements that create places that foster community identity addressing the vexing problems in residential, commercial, office, recreational and public areas in small cities.
P: UR RE ST 100; REC: UR RE ST 341.
Spring.
UR RE ST 461. Special Topics in Urban and Regional Studies. 3 Credits.
A multi-disciplinary investigation into a special topic within urban and regional studies. Includes topics such as education, employment, housing and transportation, and urban and regional policy.
P: written cons of inst.
UR RE ST 478. Honors in the Major. 3 Credits.
Honors in the Major is designed to recognize student excellence within interdisciplinary and disciplinary academic programs.
P: min 3.50 all cses req for major and min gpa 3.75 all UL cses req for major.
Fall and Spring.
UR RE ST 497. Internship. 1-12 Credits.
Supervised practical experience in an organization or activity appropriate to a student's career and educational interests. Internships are supervised by faculty members and require periodic student/faculty meetings.
P: jr st.
Fall and Spring.
UR RE ST 498. Independent Study. 1-4 Credits.
Independent study is offered on an individual basis at the student's request and consists of a program of learning activities planned in consultation with a faculty member. A student wishing to study or conduct research in an area not represented in available scheduled courses should develop a preliminary proposal and seek the sponsorship of a faculty member. The student's advisor can direct him or her to instructors with appropriate interests. A written report or equivalent is required for evaluation, and a short title describing the program must be sent early inthe semester to the registrar for entry on the student's transcript.
P: fr or so st with cum gpa > or = 2.50; or jr or sr st with cum gpa > or = 2.00.
Fall and Spring.
UR RE ST 499. Travel Course. 1-6 Credits.
Travel courses are conducted to various parts of the world and are led by one or more faculty members. May be repeated to different locations.
P: cons of instr & prior trip arr & financial deposit.
