Urban and Sustainability Research Lab (USRL)

The Urban and Sustainability Research Lab has a broad coverage, including urbanization, development, inequality, health, land use, and sustainability, with an extensive use of GIS spatial analysis. Projects include Comparative Regional Inequality Dynamics (National Science Foundation), Reducing VMT, Encouraging Walk Trips, and Facilitating Efficient Trip Chains through Polycentric Development (National Institute for Transportation & Communities), Urban Housing and Land and Their Implications for Inequality under the Process of Urbanization in China (Ford Foundation), and Amenity, Neighborhood and Spatial Inequality (University of Utah). We’ve also been working on amenity, pollution, housing prices, physical activity, and health in Utah. 

BUS 3480 Geography of China

Even with the global economic crisis, China and its Asian neighbors remain the most dynamic and fastest growing region in the world. China is officially a socialist country with a significant legacy of a centralized, command economy. But it is also a market economy undergoing globalization and market transition. Understanding such a culturally rich, socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics, and doing business in china are challenging tasks. This course aims at a better understanding of China’s business and economic geography and development, emphasizing diverse business/development models in China, human/economic geographical patterns, and linkage between China and Asian/global business networks. Topics include resources, population and society, administration/governance, economic reforms, economic and business environment, globalizing cities, regions and business models, and China’s integration into the global economy.

GEOG3640 Geography of China and Asia

A comprehensive study of the important population, development, and environmental issues in China and Asia, with a focus on the reform process and rising tensions in China and China’s geopolitical and geo-economical relations with its neighbors.

GEOG 3480 Urban Geography

Meets with GEOG 5480. Graduate students should enroll in GEOG 5480 and will be held to higher standards and/or more work. A broad overview of concepts in issues in urban geography, including the origins and development of cities, evolution or urban systems, global cities, urban economic devleopment, migration, urban land use, housing, neighborhood transition, and urban policies. Urban landscapes are expressions of economic, political, and social processes layered on top of each other in particular time-space contexts. In this course, students will gain both theoretical and empirical understanding of these processes that have shaped and continue to shape cities around the world.

GEOG 6520/5520 Economic Geography, Location and Development

GEOG 6960 Seminar in Economic Geography

This course focuses on economic geography and urban/regional development theories, including economic geography perspectives, globalization, institutions, regional development, global cities, urban development, and planning.

GEOG 6960 Seminar in Urban Geography

This course provides a broad overview of important work in urban geography and urban studies; it focuses on urban and development theory and policy, including globalization and cities, urban systems, urban economic development, housing and urban land use, migration and urbanization, neighborhood transition, and spatial structure.

PUBPL 6900 Public Policy Research

Interpretation and synthesis of published research materials for the purposes of guiding public policy. Emphasis placed on critiquing the research designs and statistical approaches used in light of the public policy questions being addressed. Examples are drawn from a range of policy areas.