Faculty of Arts & Science
Urban & Regional Studies

What is Urban & Regional Studies all about?

Urban and Regional Studies (URS) delves into the physical, social, economic and political factors that shape our cities. It looks at the role of planning to manage dynamic forces of change such as immigration, global warming, aging populations, energy conservation, congestion, urban forests, homelessness and smog, to name just a few.

As a URS student, you will learn to approach contemporary development challenges from various frames of reference. Issues include the evolving social, ethnic and architectural character of urban neighbourhoods, the decline of agricultural service centers in the west or the governance of urban sprawl.

This multidisciplinary major will provide you with a broad range of conceptual and practical tools to understand cities and regions. URS is housed in the Department of Geography, but as a multidisciplinary major, the program includes courses outside the Department’s offerings, such as Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology and Statistics.

The knowledge and experience you gain in the URS program will provide an exceptional stepping stone, whether you choose to continue your studies to the Master’s or Doctorate level or to enter the working world. Either way, you will have the educational background to play an important role in providing an understanding of—and solutions for—some of our most pressing urban and regional concerns.