Why are some urban areas thriving while others continue to struggle? Why are there persistent disparities in public and private investment within and across suburban and urban spaces in the US? This course will explore past and present efforts to develop and “revitalize” residential urban and suburban areas. We will examine the history of a cross-section of urban communities and their surrounding suburbs, the confluence of forces contributing to their decline, the policies and key stakeholders spearheading their revival, and explore why some continue to experience persistent underinvestment. This course focuses on the roles race, class, and gender play in urban and suburban housing policies and explores the policy conflicts and tensions that arise over who pays the costs of urban and suburban development. Not offered every year.
Prerequisites: Student will have completed at least one of the following courses: PLAW 151, HLEQ 210, URBN 201, or have the permission of instructor