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PLAN6852-1 / Spring 2026

Migrant Policy and the City

This course explores theories, policies, and debates regarding migration to cities. It focuses primarily on cities in the United States (New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia), although select international examples (e.g., Montreal, Toronto, Athens) are included as well. The course starts by investigating the ethics of migration and analyzing a range of responses, and then turns to examine the role of multiethnic planning in “welcoming” cities. The subject of sanctuary is explored next, as well as the long-standing racialization and criminalization of immigrants. The final portion of the course addresses the question of city power, evaluating the case of San Francisco and the political, social, cultural, and economic incorporation of undocumented youth; and connects this to the issues of exclusion/inclusion of migrants, focusing on the cases of Athens and Toronto. The last three sessions explore the possibilities and limits of enfranchisement, urban commons, the right to the city, and abolitionism.