Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - GEOG 441 D100

Cities, Space, and Politics (4)

Class Number: 1292

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Melora Koepke
    mkoepke@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30-1:30 or by appt

  • Prerequisites:

    At least 45 units, including either GEOG 100 or GEOG 161.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An evaluation of the nature of urbanization, having specific reference to theories of urban spatial structure and to comparisons of urbanization in Canada and abroad.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course will explore the relationships between space and power in the urban context. It will address urban politics, broadly defined. This broad definition means that the course will not focus primarily on ‘formal politics,’ i.e., voting, elections, political parties, and so on. Instead, the course will include discussions of a wide variety of interactions, negotiations, struggles, and accommodations that facilitate or complicate the exercise of power in cities. These interactions range from inter-personal politics in public spaces, to politically powerful representations of cities and their inhabitants generated by the media, to the actions of social movements and their uses of urban space, to questions of citizenship in ‘globalized’ and ‘multicultural’ cities, to public participation in urban governance, to relationships between cities and other levels of the state. The course will involve deep engagement with relevant theories and case studies. The overarching course theme emphasizes how power and politics produce and are produced by urban geographies.

Field Details & Dates
Off-campus field visits and field research are necessary components of course assignments; they will be completed individually, outside of class time.
No additional field trips will be organized.

There will be no tutorials in the first week of class.



COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Through deep reading and group discussion of advanced academic texts, the course will provide an understanding of:

  • What the political, broadly defined, means from a geographical perspective
  • The relationship between space, place, scale, power, and the political in a range of urban contexts
  • Current theoretical discussions regarding politics and space.

This course offers you a Capstone experience. It will allow you to integrate knowledge you have gained throughout your program and:

  • Engage in project-based research
  • Present a completed project in written, oral, and visual formats
  • Integrate and demonstrate the knowledge, approaches, and skills you have gained.

Grading

  • Course readings activities | Canvas discussion questions 10%
  • Course readings activities | Author presentations / structured discussions 10%
  • Assignments | Weekly in-class written reflections / pop-up presentations (completion) 10%
  • Assignments | “Urban politics on the ground” assignment 20%
  • Final Project | proposal / bibliography 5%
  • Final Project | In-class presentation (completion) 5%
  • Final Project | Final submission 40%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Amin, A., & Lancione, M. (Eds.). (2022). Grammars of the Urban Ground. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2x1npkj [open-access and available for download from the SFU Library]

Boudreau, J. A. (2016). Global urban politics: Informalization of the state. Polity Press (248pp; $28.75).

Flynn, A., & Hermer, J. (2026). The Bylaw State : encampment evictions and the struggle for public space. Fernwood Publishing. [132pp; $25]

Hom, L. D. (2024). The Power of Chinatown: Searching for Spatial Justice in Los Angeles. University of California Press.
https://sfuprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/usv8m3/01SFUL_ALMA51504776600003611. (E-book copy available from the library via the link.)


RECOMMENDED READING:

Both available as e-books via the library links below:

Anti-Eviction Mapping Project. (2021). Counterpoints: A San Francisco Bay Area atlas of displacement & resistance. PM Press. https://sfuprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/usv8m3/01SFUL_ALMA51409195320003611.

Campbell, L., Newman, A., Safransky, S., Stallmann, T. (2020). A people's atlas of Detroit. Wayne State University Press.
https://sfuprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/usv8m3/01SFUL_ALMA51354806590003611


Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.