Urban Geography: Systems of Cities

GEOG 325.001 (1:00-1:50 p.m. MWF)

Spring 1998

Objectives: This course explores the linkages among cities, and the linkages of cities to their surrounding regions. Students will explore models of urban location and development, the impact of transportation on city form, and notions of urban markets and hierarchies.

Instructor: Dr. H. W. Bullamore

309 Dunkle Hall, 687-4413 (voice mail available)

Office Hours: 8:45-10:00 am M-F

Text: Truman A. Harstshorn, Interpreting the City, 2nd Edition. Additional reading may be assigned.

Evaluation:

25% First Midterm

25% Second Midterm

25% Project

25% Final Exam (Monday, May 18, 11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m.)

Important notes: Exams will include fifteen multiple choice questions, four concept identifications, and two short answer paragraph essay questions. There will be some choice in the selection of concepts and essay questions.

The project for this course will be individually designed by the student, and approved by the instructor before work begins on the project. The project will produce a written paper, with appropriate documentation and professional presentation utilizing field work and statistical data sources. Appropriate documentation means a bibliography with professional citations in the text of the paper as needed. The minimum bibliography is eight items (but this may include your text and your statistical data sources). Internet sources may serve as bibliographic items. Professional presentation means a title page, abstract, table of contents, text with tables and maps, and bibliography, neatly presented with due care for spelling and grammatical matters. The complete report should result in at least a twenty page report with a text of at least twelve pages. Field work means that you have visited the site of your research and gathered information in a systematic manner: structured observation or interview would be most common. Statistical data means data from a consistent source--such as government reports--that allows you to describe your topic in a consistent and precise manner. The source may be census reports, county business patterns, the city -county data book, or an online source.

The specific topic is of the project is your choice. The most successful project will try to demonstrate or empirically test some of the ideas of the text. For example: You might look at the retail structure of a group of towns--to document what is available in small towns, or to show how a retail hierarchy works. Alternatively, you could try to prove that Cumberland is great place to live because it ranks so high on certain statistical measures. You could investigate travel patterns of shoppers and try to identify the market area of a shopping area.

The project has three required steps:

Proposal: A one paragraph proposal is due February 23. It should identify the purpose of the project and your statistical data source.

Project Draft: A more or less complete draft of the paper text is due April 22. Table of contents, title page, abstract, and illustrations are not required.

Final Version: Complete and due May 8, 1997.

Policies:

Students are expected to attend each class. Excessive absence may affect course grade.

Academic honest is expected in all matters relating to this course. Please consult the Pathfinder for a definition of academic standards. Academic dishonesty will lead to course failure.

Disruption of class or any behavior in class which interferes with an effective learning environment will not be tolerated, and will result in expulsion from the classroom.

Schedule and Reading Assignments:

Part I: Concepts of the City

Jan 28 What is Urban Geography Chap 1

Jan 30, Defining the City

Feb 2, 4

Feb 6, 9 Beginnings of Urban Settlements Chap 2

Feb 11, 13, 16 Contemporary Urbanization

Feb 18, 20 Cities of the Developing World Chap 3

Feb 23, 25 Urban Planning in India

Feb 26 Midterm Exam I

Part II: North American Metropolitan Realms

Mar 2, 4 Location Patterns Chap 4

Mar 5, 9 Evolution of the US Urban System

Mar 11 Canadian Urban System

Mar 12, 16 Metropolitan Regions Chap 5

Mar 18, 20 Gravity Models and Trade Areas

Mar 30 Urban Hierarchies

Apr 1, 3 The Urban Environment Chap 6

Apr 6, 8, 10 Economic Base Theory Chap 7

Apr 13, 15 Growth Pole Theory

Apr 17 Midterm Exam II

Part III: Theoretical Approaches

Apr 20, 22 Central Place Theory Chap 8

Apr 24,27 Losch's Revision

Apr 29, Applications of Central Place Theory

& May 1

May 4 New Approaches on Behavioral Models

May 6, 8 Transportation and City Form Chap 9

May 11, 13 Investment in Transportation

Final Exam Monday, May 18, 11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m.