URB 413: Indigenous City: Transforming Storyscapes (most recent offering: Spring 2026)

This course looks at colonialism and Indigeneity at the urban scale. Focusing on Vancouver, unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, we will trace the stories embedded in the city’s landscapes and planning frameworks, and consider the transformative possibilities that emerge as municipalities begin to acknowledge their responsibilities to the lands and the First Peoples whose territories they occupy.

How do Indigenous laws, stories, and cultural continuities reassert themselves within the life of the contemporary city? Learning from diverse sources and voices—including public art, film, planning documents, guest speakers, and poetry—we will critically examine how colonial worldviews are naturalized through urban planning and how Indigenous rights, knowledge, and governance are essential to creating sustainable and just urban futures. Through case studies such as Vancouver’s UNDRIP Strategy, renaming initiatives, co-management agreements, and cultural planning, we will explore how reconciliation is being interpreted and enacted at the municipal level. Ultimately, this course invites you to imagine what it means to decolonize the city—to live and plan in ways that reflect and restore Indigenous laws, relationships, and stewardship responsibilities to place, and which affirm the truth that every North American city is an Indigenous city.

Read "SFU Urban Studies class visits Indigenous public garden"

URB 497: Comparative Urban Sustainability International Field Studies Finland (Summer 2026) - Applications closed

Our immersive field school offers a dynamic learning experience beginning with preliminary sessions in Vancouver, Canada and culiminating in an unforgettable two-week field travel program in Helsinki, Finland.

Discover how Helsinki has become a global leader in urban innovation—from affordable housing and sustainable transportation to Indigenous reconciliation and vibrant public spaces. You won't just study sustainability—you'll experience it. Through guided site visits, expert-led discussions, and hands-on exploration, you’ll gain practical insights into the policies and planning strategies shaping one of the world’s most livable cities.

Earn course credits while studying abroad, expand your global network, and build real-world expertise that sets you apart.

Follow the Finland Field School’s journey on Instagram @sustyhel

Watch this space for our next information session about the Finland Field School!

URB 499: Urban Innovation Lab (most recent offering: Spring 2025)

This course gives you a unique opportunity—to put your academic knowledge into action by working on projects that address the social, cultural, and structural needs of the City of New Westminster (CNW), guided and supported by experienced city staff.

You will learn and apply understandings of urban innovation, systemic and transformational change, and sustainability transitions. This culminates in a team-based urban innovation project, with each team assigned to the guidance of CNW staff across various departments, including the fire department, the library, and parks and recreation. As you delve into the City’s priorities—such as downtown livability, climate action, reconciliation, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)—you will develop projects aimed at addressing complex social issues and community needs. 

Read "Innovative course bridges theory and practice with urban improvement projects in New Westminster"

Read "SFU Urban Studies students tour United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre"

Watch this space for our next information session about the Urban Innovation Lab!