Cities and Social Justice Curriculum and Courses

The Cities and Social Justice Concentration (CSJ) at GPIA trains practitioners and researchers to address these issues and produce innovative change. Using the context of history and the imperatives of current problems, the Concentration prepares students to design and lead the urban future. The Cities & Social Justice curriculum focuses on how global factors interact with local environments, actors, and institutions to produce new urban forms, problems, and opportunities. The coursework and practical training within the Cities and Social Justice Concentration enables students to focus on a diversity of topics and issues affecting urban centers, including urban development and infrastructure, urban governance, citizenship and human rights, technology and culture, and sustainability. Students take courses informed by economics, political science, anthropology, urban planning, and architecture. They gain skills in geographic information systems, architecture and design, urban economics and finance, impact analysis, and critical analysis.  The CSJ concentration allows for a truly interdisciplinary experience by allowing students to explore urban related graduate electives in other New School divisions such as Milano and Parsons.

Curriculum

In addition to GPIA-wide required courses, students that concentrate in Cities and Urbanization are required to take:

Foundation Course: Urban Century

This course introduces the multiple dimensions and theoretical perspectives involved in understanding cities and the process of urbanization. It will demonstrate how the intersection and integration of multiple perspectives is needed to understand how urban processes operate. The course will introduce urban demography, economy and institutions, infrastructure, architecture and visual representation, physical space, social relations, and culture. Students will undertake individual and group assignments in a dynamic seminar format in which these perspectives will be illustrated through a sample of cities from different regions of the world. For registration information for this course please visit the Urban Century entry in the University Course Catalog.

  • Three CSJ electives

Students may also take urban courses outside of GPIA/Milano with approval by Antina von Schnitzler, concentration chair.

Spring 2014 Courses

GPIA Courses

Milano Courses

International Field Program Options

CSJ students can also participate in certain IFP programs for credit. Check back in the Fall for a listing of CSJ IFP programs for Summer 2014 on the IFP page. The IFP programs in Buenos Aires and in Uganda are particularly relevant for students interested in urban issues. Check their web pages for more information: IFP Argentina and IFP Uganda.

Past Courses

These are courses that have been historically offered in the program that CSJ students can take towards their concentration and elective requirements when available.

Spring 2013

Fall 2012

Spring 2012

Fall 2011

Spring 2011

Spring 2010

Fall 2009

Spring 2009

Fall 2008

Spring 2008

Fall 2007

Spring 2007

Fall 2006

Spring 2006

Fall 2005

Spring 2005