Urban, Community, and the Environment

View of townhouses with colorful murals.

Sociology faculty and students working in the Urban, Community and Environment field use different theories and methods to understand a wide variety of social, political, and economic issues arising from the interactions of people and place. Research in this field addresses how the physical environment (neighborhoods, inner cities, suburbs, metropolitan areas and regions, as well as water, air, and other species) influences and affects social behavior (such as residential patterns, health outcomes, and concentrated poverty). In addition, faculty in this field investigate complex issues associated with urban growth and decline, migration and demographic changes, environmental sustainability, and smart growth.

Sub-fields

Faculty