“How To Study Cities”

Gregoire Filcidor

History Seminar I

            “How To Study Cities” is an introductory article that pays tribute to the many great theorist, scientists, authors and who ever contributed to the study of understand the city. Richard LeGate author if this article goes through the many steps and ways one may take to approach the city. He mentions interdisciplinary and disciplinary courses and colleges that may help understanding urban dwellings, to the intelligent minds of generations that have written essays, articles, and books that helps future generation understand the city.

            In the beginning of the article LeGates begins with two terms that basically begins your study of the city, Quantitative and Qualitative. Theses two terms helps build the foundation of what the researcher is studying. Quantitative methods to approach the study involve analyzing data using statistical methods. Students who study economics usually may take a statistical course. This is method is usually done using many computer software. (GIS) geographic information system is one such program that focuses on geographic aspect of spatial analysis. And the other method is Qualitative. Qualitative methods of studying the city involve a more interpersonal method of understanding the city. With my own experiences this method may many weeks. This method of research is the hardest and the most difficult because one needs a lot of information to back up and proves one’s theory. LeGates state, “The relationship between theory and practice is reciprocal. Theory can inform practice and practice can inform theory”.

            LeGates goes on and discusses the core concerns in the area of studying the city. One of main concerns is the evolution of the cities, which he discusses that historians have made the most contribution on the understanding of the evolution of cities. The next concern is Megacities and global city systems. This study focuses on the rise of cities inhabiting tens of million or more. The megacities are happening mostly to developing countries in which have intrigue scholars. Urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture and architecture are another concern in the city. This concern is not really a big concern to the understanding of cities but is still important key to how cities are developed. This concern focuses on the open spaces, public plazas and other city spaces. This study is important to landscape architects, architects, and civil engineers. Race, ethnic, and gender relations in the cities focuses on how social factors affect the city. Race, immigration and even gender in cities are a concern because these factors can separate regions in a city. Urban policies and problems focuses on poverty, overcrowding, congestion, disease, crime, vice, drugs, and pollution are concerns of understanding the city. LeGate also writes studies in land use, housing, community development environment, transportation, and economic development, studies on health, homelessness, education, welfare and transportation are all big concerns to finding out how cities are developed and change. Urban futurism is the final study on cities. This study uses all the all studies to come up with theories on future cities. Urban futurism is a study to predict future city types, or this study can help predict future problems like population growth and what type of cities that would help.

            With this basic knowledge of how to study the city anyone can uses this template to come up with well thought out theories on what a city is. He or she can fathom the theories of the minds such as Vitruvius to, Lecorbusier, on what a city is and how to approach on the study a city. With the help of all the previous researchers and the years of information we have gathered, we can now better solve urban problems when the problems come and we may solve future problems a city may have.