Urban Politics

Urban Politics is a subfield within political science that focuses on the study of power relations, decision-making processes, and policies in urban areas. It seeks to understand how political institutions, actors, and policies affect the development and functioning of cities and other urban areas. Scholars of urban politics focus on a range of issues, such as housing, transportation, land use, economic development, social welfare, public safety, and environmental protection, among others. They examine the ways in which local governments, interest groups, community organizations, and other actors interact and compete for resources, influence, and power.

Urban Politics Faculty Heading link

Clinical Associate Professor
Alba Alexander
Clinical Associate Professor
Professor
Cedric Johnson
Professor
Department Head and Professor
Evan McKenzie
Department Head and Professor
Associate Professor
Yue Zhang
Associate Professor

Recent Faculty Publications Heading link

  • Judd, Dennis R., Evan McKenzie, and Alba Alexander. 2021. Private Metropolis : The Eclipse of Local Democratic Governance. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • McKenzie, Evan. 2021. “Chicago’s ‘Deconversion’ Waves and the Fragility of Condominium Associations,” in Randy Lippert (ed.), Condominium Governance and Law: Global Urban Perspectives. London: Routledge.
  • Zhang, Yue. 2021. “Rightful Squatting: Housing Movements, Citizenship, and the ‘Right to the City’ in Brazil.” Journal of Urban Affairs, 43(10): 1405-1422. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2020.1749005
  • Liu, Shouying, and Yue Zhang. 2020. “Cities without Slums? China’s Land Regime and Dual-Track Urbanization.” Cities 101: 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102652