Divides the history of urban sociology in France into three periods: (1) functionalism, which lasted from 1910 until the 1960s, (2) neo-Marxist socioeconomics lasting from 1968 until 1979, and (3) anthropological approach which is still dominant. Reviews theoretical perspectives and research characteristic of each period. (JDH)

Criticizes eight commonly held notions about the value of mass transit systems in public transportation programs. Alternative approaches for improving the quality and quantity of urban transit systems are discussed. (AM)

Discusses the theoretical orientation of Alinsky's community organization strategies, which recognize the fragmented, partial, and multiple levels of community social structure; that communitywide identification is a conscious response to perceived adversaries; and that the task of community organization is to represent the community in…

Although American cities have changed and, many feel, declined, they remain important resources for educating. The life and architecture of the cities hold lessons for students from grade school to college. Using the city at hand, the teacher can help to create a new breed of informed, active urban citizens. (KH)

The best way to define geography is to think of it as the study of processes as they operate over space and in place. The evolution of this definition is discussed, and examples of the way in which geographers have studied social change in U.S. cities are provided. (RM)

The failure of today's newspapers to provide creative leadership in successfully integrating our cities is tragic. White racism has become a critical factor in the neglect of our cities, as has the reluctance of some newspeople to involve themselves more deeply in efforts to explain today's urban crisis. Much of the journalism profession's…

Urban environmental education focuses on more than the natural environment. The built and social/political/ economic environments also demand constant observation, analysis, and evaluation. Educators should use urban-oriented professionals as sources of information and help. (BW)

Considers how visual literacy implies a poetics of technology, one rooted in basic human passion. Notes that most academic forms sanctioned for students to inhabit are as monumentally dull as the urban forms in which they pass an extra-academic portion of their lives. Concludes that technology is most useful when it allows the poetic spirit to…

Intended for college teachers of geography, especially those teaching about developing countries, this publication contains background information about urban conditions in India. Historical and contemporary accounts of urban planning are provided for three Indian cities. The city of Jaipur was built by a maharaja in the 18th century, long before…

Reviews the "risks" and "benefits" inherent in the field-oriented urban anthropology courses described in the preceding articles and recommends the development of more long-term large-scale research projects within such courses. (CJM)

Suggesting that urban education should be involved with the politics of a community and focusing on race and class, discusses ways in which students, once sensitized to problems, have solved them. (Author/JN)

Urban and regional development in Third World countries has been changing in terms of aims, planning style, analytic methods and scope. These evolving perspectives are reviewed, and recommendations for incorporating such changes into professional programs in urban and regional studies are presented. (WB)

In the course of history, the Toronto, Canada, landscape has acquired many interesting and attractive features. The history of its urban renewal projects, suburban expansion, inner city change, residential preservation and stabilization, and central city development is examined. (RM)

Retirement communities such as Sun City, Arizona, are a significant geographical phenomenon in contemporary U.S. society. The reasons for the evolution of Sun City as a popular migration destination and the geographical implications of large-scale residential segregation among the elderly are discussed. (RM)

The many different kinds of urban institutions are identified and the state of higher education in urban areas is discussed. The effect of the land-grant colleges movement is described. Three guiding philosophies during the present century about American education are identified: colleges as aristocratic institutions, meritocracy, and…