This course is designed to provide graduate students in the applied social and natural sciences the theoretical and practical skills for conducting research in complex urban settings. The objective is to develop critical and analytical skills for designing and conducting empirical and applied research in urban science. The emphasis is on integration and synthesis of theories, concepts, and data across multiple disciplines. Research design is framed as an emergent process. Students will be exposed to the issues involved in research decisions and to diverse problem-solving strategies and technical tools. The course examines the logic and limits of scientific inquiry, conceptualization and measurement of social and ecological phenomena in urbanizing systems, and principles of research design and practice. Students will apply their skills on selected projects to address emerging problems in the Seattle Metropolitan Area.
Themes: Urban Change and Evolution. Predicting and Imagining the Future City. Urban Ecology and Climate Change. Social Networks. Virtual Mobility. Shared Economies and Innovation. Urban Analytics. Emerging Sensors. Big Data.
