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urban history

In the course Urban History, we look at how cities have developed from Antiquity until the twentieth century, and this within a global perspective.

Our cities of today have come about through a series of path-dependent processes that are rooted in history. We investigate a broad range of topics and themes that are also relevant today, such as migration, colonialism, transport and mobility, social inequality, urban industrialisation and de-industrialisation. Next to the lectures, that focus on long-term processes and the important debates among urban historians, the core of this course consists of our weekly discussions on these different topics, based on a selection of relevant and recent papers. By applying a critical attitude to these long-term processes and to the debates that have been developing in urban history, the goal of this course is to obtain a better understanding of the urban problems and challenges of today through a historical lens.

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administrative details

6 ECTS / 1st semester
VUB course code: 4018418ENR
ULB course code: GEOG-Y049