blank
Select a level:
Select a term:
Only show courses available to first-year students.
blank

Course Listing for URBAN STUDIES - Spring 2027 (ALL: 01/25/2027 - 05/14/2027)
Class
No.		 Course ID Title Credits Type Instructor(s) Days:Times Location Permission
Required		 Dist Qtr
2477 URST-101-01 Introduction to Urban Studies 1.00 LEC Lukens, David M: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 39 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course is not open to seniors.
  This course provides a general introduction to the interdisciplinary field of urban studies. Using a variety of Western and non-Western cities as illustrative examples, the course aims to give a broad survey and understanding of the distinctive characteristics of urban places. Students will learn definitions, concepts, and theories that are fundamental to the field. Topics covered include the role of planning in shaping cities, the economic structure and function of cities, the evolution of urban culture, community organization and development, gentrification and urban renewal, and urban governance policy.
1268 URST-201-01 From Hartford to World Cities 1.00 LEC Lukens, David W: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA GLB5  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: SOCL-227-01
  PR: URST101 or CTYP101 or SOCL 101
  The 21st century is truly a global urban age characterized by the simultaneous decline and revival of post-industrial cities in the United States and the co-existence of boom and poverty in the rapidly industrializing cities in developing countries, as well as by how globalization is exerting a growing impact on urban places and processes everywhere. This course adopts an integrated and comparative approach to studying the local and global characteristics, conditions, and consequences of the growth and transformation of cities and communities. Using Hartford—Trinity's hometown—as a point or place of departure, the course takes students to a set of world or global cities outside the United States, especially a few dynamic mega-cities in developing countries to explore the differences and surprising similarities among them.
2230 URST-210-01 Sustainable Urban Development 1.00 LEC Hussain, Mushahid TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM TBA GLB  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  With the era in which city dwellers comprise a majority of the world's population has come a new urgency for understanding the balance between urban development and the environment. This course introduces students to the sub-field of urban studies which deals with sustainable development, including exploration of the debates on the meanings of sustainability and development in cities. Taking a comparative approach and a global perspective, topics to be examined may include the ecological footprint of cities, urban programs for sustainable urban planning, urban transportation and service delivery, energy issues, and the critical geopolitics of urban sustainability around the world. May be counted toward INTS major requirements.
3005 URST-213-01 Introduction to GIS 1.00 LEC Delgado, Laura TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This lecture/lab course introduces students to mapping and spatial analysis through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS are tools that allow us to organize, analyze, and display information that has both spatial and descriptive characteristics. This course will focus on the theory and application of GIS in current day urban studies and planning. In urban studies, GIS can be used to better understand population demographics, land uses and values, transportation, and environmental patterns, among other urban characteristics and trends. Through lectures and lab sessions, students will learn how to use the ESRI ArcGIS software package, online mapping tools, and digital databases. Increasingly, local government data are being made public, and students will also learn how to locate, manage, map, and analyze data from these open sources. Students who have taken URST 107 may not enroll or earn credit for this course.
2734 URST-214-01 Greek and Roman Architecture 1.00 LEC Peers, Max TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA ART  
  Enrollment limited to 29 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with ARTHISTORY Cross-listing: CLCV-214-01
  An examination of building materials and methods used in the construction of domestic, civic, and religious buildings of the Greek and Roman worlds. Topics of discussion include ways in which functions of buildings influenced their forms; comparative studies of the works of individual architects; architectural adaptations to local topography; propaganda purposes of architecture; and ancient opinions and accounts of architecture, including selections from the works of Plautus, Vitruvius, and Pliny the Elder; and Latin inscriptions. We will then compare written accounts to archaeological evidence. Students in LATN 314 will read some of the material in Latin, whereas all of the reading for CLCV 214 will be in English.
2940 URST-214-02 Greek and Roman Architecture 1.00 LEC Staff, Trinity TBA TBA ART  
  Enrollment limited to 29 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with ARTHISTORY
  An examination of building materials and methods used in the construction of domestic, civic, and religious buildings of the Greek and Roman worlds. Topics of discussion include ways in which functions of buildings influenced their forms; comparative studies of the works of individual architects; architectural adaptations to local topography; propaganda purposes of architecture; and ancient opinions and accounts of architecture, including selections from the works of Plautus, Vitruvius, and Pliny the Elder; and Latin inscriptions. We will then compare written accounts to archaeological evidence. Students in LATN 314 will read some of the material in Latin, whereas all of the reading for CLCV 214 will be in English.
2538 URST-221-01 City and Society 1.00 LEC Hussain, Mushahid TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM TBA GLB5  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: SOCL-221-01
  Prerequisite: Urban Studies 101 or permission of instructor.
  This course examines the city as a central object of inquiry in classical and contemporary social thought. How did the city come to be considered the cradle of civilizations, cultures, and imagined communities? Why is the city often at the center of narratives about the transition to modernity? What is the relationship between capitalist development, global trade networks, and urban life? How does the city figure in addressing the biggest issues facing human societies today – from living with climate change, migration, and rural-urban inequalities to the role of urban environments in generating both alienation and social solidarity? The course guides students towards developing a historical, comparative, and theoretically grounded perspective on the city in contemporary social life.
2539 URST-311-01 Cities at Work 1.00 SEM Hussain, Mushahid TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA GLB5  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course critically examines employment relationships and power structures in contemporary cities. Using case studies from the United States and across the globe, we will explore debates on how globalization and the rise of informal urban labor markets, the gig economy and other precarious forms of work are transforming the nature of urban employment. We will also analyze the effects of de-industrialization on urban job markets, the challenges faced by immigrant workers, and the evolving role of sanctuary cities. Additionally, the course investigates collective efforts to secure health, environmental, and labor protections in urban employment settings. Students will gain a crucial understanding of how cities are reshaping the nature of work, labor rights movements, and urban citizenship in an era of rapid economic and social change.
2510 URST-318-01 Reshaping Global Urbanization 1.00 SEM Chen, Xiangming M: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA GLB5  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course aims to provide an extensive and in-depth understanding of how Asian and other non-Western countries are reshaping global urbanization. Having urbanized at the fastest pace, on the largest scale, and in the shortest time in human history, countries such as China and India have been “building out” by constructing transport infrastructure, industrial zones, and municipal facilities at home and across the Global South. The course assesses these modes of urban development, focused on their beneficial and problematic social and spatial consequences. It then examines how Asian and Global South actors engage in city-building and infrastructure construction in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe, concluding with the policy implications of “South-led” global urbanization.
3029 URST-329-01 Urban Ethnography 1.00 SEM Amer, Nehal R: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 10 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-829-01
  Prerequisite: Urban Studies 101 or permission of instructor.
  Ethnography is a qualitative research method commonly used in the humanistic social sciences that involves naturalistic observation/interaction. Its goal is to produce richer understandings of people, practice, culture, and place by textualizing the kinetic motion of everyday life. This course introduces students to urban ethnographic research methods and their intrinsic value to the field of Urban Studies. By reading and analyzing a broad array of urban ethnographic work from across the globe, students will gain a better understanding of ethnographic writing and the practice of urban ethnography and what it has to offer. This course aims to expose you to a variety of urban contexts beyond EuroAmerica and in doing so build your reading, writing, interpretation, and analytical skills.
1244 URST-399-01 Independent Study 0.50 - 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 5 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Prerequisite: Urban Studies 101 or permission of instructor.
  Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and director are required for enrollment.
1241 URST-401-01 Senior Seminar 1.00 SEM Myers, Garth M: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA WEB  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Prerequisite: Urban Studies 201, Sociology 227 or permission of instructor.
  This course serves as a capstone seminar with two purposes. First, it provides a comparative and integrated treatment of the urban scholarship through an intensive and interdisciplinary reading of advanced books and articles, rigorous discussions, and in-depth writing. This course allows students to widen and deepen the cumulative content and experience they have gained from previous urban courses, study abroad programs, and urban engagement and internship projects. Secondly, by connecting and even tailoring some of the seminar’s content to individual students, the course prepares and guides students to undertake and successfully complete a senior thesis for the Urban Studies major.
2850 URST-433-01 Introduction to Urban Planning 1.00 SEM Delgado, Laura TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-833-01, PBPL-833-01
  This course provides an overview of urban planning. Students will be introduced to key theories and concepts as well as methods and empirical case studies in this multidimensional field. Lectures and seminar discussions concentrate on applications of urban planning theories and concepts as practiced by urban planners. Topics discussed in the course may include regional, environmental, metropolitan, transportation, spatial, and land-use planning issues. Empirical emphasis is expected to be on Hartford and other Connecticut cities, but the course may discuss other American or international urban areas. The course is an elective geared toward public policy graduate students with an interest in urban policy, regardless of their track. This course may be of interest to American studies graduate students as well (permission of adviser required).
1690 URST-466-01 Teaching Assistant 0.50 - 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Submission of the special registration form, available online, and the approval of the instructor are required for enrollment. Guidelines are available in the College Bulletin. (0.5 - 1 course credit)
1686 URST-497-01 Single Semester Thesis 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y WEB  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Submission of special registration form and the approval of the director are required for enrollment in this single-semester thesis.
2203 URST-499-01 Senior Thesis, Part 2 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y WEB  
  Enrollment limited to 5 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Written report and formal presentation of a research project. Required of all students who wish to earn honors in Urban Studies. Submission of the special registration form and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this year-long thesis. (2 course credits to be completed in two semesters.)
3030 URST-829-01 Urban Ethnography 1.00 SEM Amer, Nehal R: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 5 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-329-01
  Ethnography is a qualitative research method commonly used in the humanistic social sciences that involves naturalistic observation/interaction. Its goal is to produce richer understandings of people, practice, culture, and place by textualizing the kinetic motion of everyday life. This course introduces students to urban ethnographic research methods and their intrinsic value to the field of Urban Studies. By reading and analyzing a broad array of urban ethnographic work from across the globe, students will gain a better understanding of ethnographic writing and the practice of urban ethnography and what it has to offer. This course aims to expose you to a variety of urban contexts beyond EuroAmerica and in doing so build your reading, writing, interpretation, and analytical skills.
2852 URST-833-01 Introduction to Urban Planning 1.00 SEM Delgado, Laura TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: PBPL-833-01, URST-433-01
  This course provides an overview of urban planning. Students will be introduced to key theories and concepts as well as methods and empirical case studies in this multidimensional field. Lectures and seminar discussions concentrate on applications of urban planning theories and concepts as practiced by urban planners. Topics discussed in the course may include regional, environmental, metropolitan, transportation, spatial, and land-use planning issues. Empirical emphasis is expected to be on Hartford and other Connecticut cities, but the course may discuss other American or international urban areas. The course is an elective geared toward public policy graduate students with an interest in urban policy, regardless of their track. This course may be of interest to American studies graduate students as well (permission of adviser required).
2953 URST-866-01 State and Local Policy 1.00 LEC Cabral, Jonathan R: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 28 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: PBPL-866-01
  State and local governments play a vital role in governing, policy innovation, and the delivery of services in the United States. Their importance has arguably increased in recent decades with the trend toward devolution of government to the state and local levels, the use of referenda, and the central role of states in battles over social issues. In this course we will review available social science research to consider the central issues and challenges of governance at the state and local levels. We will examine differences between states’ political cultures and their implications for public policy, compare federal versus state and local provision of social services, and consider the significance of the use of redistricting, recalls, referenda and initiatives in political struggles across the country.
2835 URST-874-01 Practicum 1.00 SEM Sinani, Elda W: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: PBPL-874-01
  The Practicum is a semester-long opportunity for students to apply and expand their knowledge and technical skills by performing an actual consulting engagement for a public sector client organization. Practicum students will work in small teams to analyze and make recommendations with respect to issues of real significance faced by their clients. Each engagement will combine research, project planning, and problem-solving challenges, as well as substantial client contact. Client organizations are selected from across the policy spectrum to better enable students to pursue subject matters of particular relevance to their studies and career interests. Each engagement will culminate in a final report and formal presentation to the client organization. The Practicum instructor will provide careful guidance and participants will have opportunities to share ideas, experiences, and best practices.
2298 URST-953-01 Research Project 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Under the guidance of a faculty member, graduate students may do an independent research project on a topic in American studies. Written approval of the graduate adviser and the program director are required. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form.
2299 URST-954-01 Thesis Part I 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Thesis Part I
2300 URST-955-01 Thesis Part II 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Thesis Part II
2301 URST-956-01 Thesis 2.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Thesis
2903 LAAL-200-01 Action Research Methods Htfd 1.00 LEC Atalay, Derin Ozlem M: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA NUIP  
  Enrollment limited to 24 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with CLIC, EDUC, HRST, PBPL, URST
  What is the role of academic research in social change? How can students and community groups collaborate effectively to co-create, implement, and use research projects to solve social problems? In this course, students will study the theories and methods of interdisciplinary action research. Emphasizing ethical collaboration, students will learn research design strategies, methods, tools, and research tools in order to work with community partners to solve pressing problems. Students will learn to use a variety of statistical, geographic, and interview data to answer questions, make recommendations, and tell stories about the issues that are most relevant to Hartford.
2233 PBPL-310-01 Tax Pol & Inequality in Htfd 1.00 SEM Laws, Serena M: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA SOCW  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with CLIC, POLS, URST
  NOTE: 10 seats reserved for PBPL majors. Limit to 5 seniors.
  In this course students will learn about U.S. tax policy and apply their knowledge by preparing taxes for Hartford residents at Trinity's VITA Tax Clinic. Tax policy in the United States is a key site of government redistribution-a place where economic inequality can be mitigated or reinforced. This course explores central elements of tax policy with an emphasis on the politics and policies that led to the growth of social tax expenditures, including refundable tax credits. Students will receive training to become IRS certified tax preparers, and each student will prepare taxes for a regular shift at a VITA site near campus. An enhanced version of this class fulfills the PBPL Internship Requirement.