Cities, Law and Politics

The 21st century has been hailed the “century of the city”. The figures behind this label are mind boggling, considering that the world’s urban population has increased nearly thirtyfold since the early 1900s. This shift marks an unprecedented transformation of the organization of society, both spatially and geopolitically. This seminar offers an opportunity for students to engage with recent legal and social science scholarship concerning this global trend. Among the issues covered are the city as a legal and a constitutional concept; the constitutional law and politics of city status in Canada and abroad; the “right to the city” and its interpretations; self-empowerment attempts by cities (e.g. human rights cities, sanctuary cities, urban citizenship, participatory democracy); city-networks and the transnational order; the law and politics of the urban-rural divide, cities and climate change, and the promises and pitfalls of “smart cities”. The seminar involves, among other things, discussions about legal materials and concepts; some background in and understanding of the Canadian Constitution, federalism, and of principles of public law more generally are recommended.