University of Toronto

Department of Geography and Planning

Course Description

Health in Urban Environments

This course explores ways of theorizing, evaluating, and improving health in urban areas. Through readings, group discussion, and individual and group inquiry, students will examine the key mechanisms by which urban environments (broadly defined) impact on the people living in them, and how - and to what extent - urban residents can in turn alter their environments to facilitate health. While this course is grounded in the practice-oriented discourses of urban planning and health promotion, a critical awareness of, and debate about, the strengths and limitations of various approaches to promoting and maintaining the health of urban residents in both developed and developing countries will be encouraged.