More then Fifty percent of the global population lives in urban settlements. Cities, town and other urban forms become the sites of most human activity. The course 'Urban Geography' begins with the global system and ends with suburbs and small towns: studies the built urban forms and patterns, evolution and characteristics of urban structures, spatial dynamics and human activity.

Part 1:

• The origins and growth of cities
• World Urbanization: evolution, distribution, characteristics.
• Urbanization and economic, the economic base of the city.

Part 2:
Urban system:

• Theories of the urban systems: Central Place Theory, Mercantile model, Super-Imposition model, Rank Size Rule, Primate city.
• Globalization and Global cities: world cities characterization, ranking world cities, Central Flow Theory as a concept to analyze the global urban system.
• Metropolitan areas and suburbanization: evolution of metropolitan areas, suburbanization and urban sprawl process.
• Mega cities

Part 3:
City as system:

• Urban structure: physical structure and social structure
• Land uses in the city: Factors and characteristics, natural process vs. zoning.
• Ecological model of the city: Concentric zone model, Sector model, multiple-nuclei model.
• Alonso's Bid Rent Function Theory
• Modification of the classical models: Mann's, Kearsley's, Vance's, and Whites's.
• Central business district (CBD).
• Urban retail structure
• Social areas in the city.

Grade:
Attendance requirement
Exam – 100%