Urban and Regional Studies (URS)

URS 300     Urban and Regional Studies     4 Credit Hours

In this course we will explore the field of urban and regional studies. The scope of readings is inter-disciplinary, spanning the environmental, aesthetic, social, economic, geographic, historical, political and cultural aspects of cities, suburbs and regions. The interrelationship between the spatial organization of a city, patterns of social and economic inequality, delivery of services, the relationship between culture and public space, as well as the processes of urban and regional change will all be considered. Problems such as race and class inequality will also be examined. Special attention will be given to issues of relevance in the Detroit metropolitan region (e.g. spatial, economic, cultural, political and social impacts of the loss of manufacturing jobs). Students will be introduced to methods of social scientific analysis and will begin to apply those methods to researching urban and regional community groups, enterprises and social movements. (YR).

URS 301     SiD--Field Internship     3 Credit Hours

Full Course Title: Semester in Detroit: Field Internship This course serves as a field internship course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. Students in this course work for 200 hours in an internship with a community-based organization in Detroit over 12 weeks (average of 16 hours per week). They also participate in an internship reflection seminar (co-requisite). Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's in Detroit program to enroll in this course. (F,W,S)

Corequisite(s): SSCI 302

URS 302     SiD--Intern Seminar     2 Credit Hours

This course serves as a core course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. The primary purpose of this class is to provide a supportive, yet challenging learning space for reflecting on your Detroit internship experiences this semester. There are three main sources of material for this class: you, the internship, and Detroit. While, in theory, each is distinct, in practice, all three are intertwined and interact and affect one another. Your challenge will be learning to see more clearly the interactions among these domains. Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's Semester in Detroit program to enroll in this course.

URS 360     SiD--20th Cent Detroit History     3 Credit Hours

This course serves as the core course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. It examines the transformation of Detroit from the late 19th, through the 20th and into the 21st Centuries. Our goal is to identify the main forces and patterns of change in Detroit's past that have shaped the contemporary city you encounter today. Thus, the course is organized chronologically, but we will be exploring the city's history alongside consideration of contemporary social issues, challenges, and debates. Course material will include a range of readings, films, and excursions. Through discussion of this material and in written assignments, the course encourages you to develop your own interpretation of the circumstances, challenges and opportunities currently facing the city. Students must apply to, and be accepted by, UM-Ann Arbor's Semester in Detroit program to enroll in this course. (F,W,S)

URS 380     SiD - Theory and Practice of Visionary Organizing     3 Credit Hours

What is the concept of Visionary Organizing? Where did it come from, and how is it related to Detroit’s rich history of Black radical politics and community building? What role does it play in current grassroots activism, organizations, and community-media in Detroit? These are some of the guiding questions for this course. Taking the lives, activism, and intellectual work of James and Grace Lee Boggs as the starting point, the course will guide students through a multifaceted examination of historical and contemporary expressions of radical activism in Detroit. Beginning with the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s and ending with contemporary movements, groups, and organizers, we will explore how thinkers and activists during the last half century have theorized, organized, and created the conditions to bring new visions of a just city into being. Students will learn about and have the opportunity to interact with contemporary expressions of visionary organizing such as Feedom Freedom Growers, Birwood House, Riverwise magazine, Visionary Organizing Lab, Sweetwater Foundation, and the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership. This course serves as an elective course for the Semester in Detroit (SiD) program. (F, W, S).

URS 390     Topics Urban&Regional Studies     1 to 3 Credit Hours

Problems and issues in selected areas of urban and regional studies studies. Title as listed in Schedule of Classes changes according to content. Course may be repeated for credit when specific topic differs.

URS 450     Senior Capstone in Community Research     3 Credit Hours

The capstone course is a unique exploration of a complex topic in the metropolitan area. The course will guide students in a deep investigation of this topic, including fieldwork in the surrounding community. Directed readings and discussions will provide theoretical background, and students will develop their own research papers in relation to this theme. The goals of the course are for students to synthesize and apply learning from previous courses in urban studies, to investigate a compelling research question using appropriate methods, and to prepare for future careers in related fields.

URS 485     Urban Regional Stud Internship     3 to 6 Credit Hours

The internship offers students the opportunity to learn and apply concepts learned in Urban and Regional Studies coursework to real world settings in municipal and regional government offices, non-profit and community organizations, or businesses dedicated to design, development, or data. The student has 8-16 hours of unpaid work per week under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Primarily for junior or senior URS students or other qualified applicants. Up to 6 credits can be used to fulfill the community-based research requirement for urban and regional studies concentrators, with the approval of the URS director.

Prerequisite(s): URS 300

Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Class is Freshman

URS 499     Independent Study     3 Credit Hours

Readings, community-based research and analytical assignments in accordance with the needs and interests of the student and approval of the instructor. Students must submit a written proposal of study for approval. In addition, students electing to take this course in partial fulfillment of their community-based research must get approval from the Director of the Urban and Regional Studies program. (F,W,S)