Past Events

GMS is Co-sponsoring “New Directions in Bangladesh Studies: Recent Scholarship and New Publications,” November 4, 2025, 9 – 10:30 a.m, on zoom. The panel discussion will feature recent scholarship on Bangladesh by David Jackman, Tanzil Shafique, and Lutfun Nahar Lata. The event will highlight and discuss their newly published books. Jackman’s book analyzes how syndicates […]

On October 29th, (12:00 – 1:00pm), GMS alum Dr. Alex Werth will speak with graduate students regarding book publishing over lunch at the Social Science Matrix. RSVP here by October 26th.

On October 29th (3:30-5:00pm), GMS alum Dr. Alex Werth will present his new book, “On Loop: Black Sonic Politics in Oakland.” The seminar will take place in McCone Hall 575. This event is jointly sponsored with the Department of Geography. No RSVP required.

On October 16th (12:30-2pm), Noah Nathan (MIT) will present on “Vernacular Architecture and Grassroots Urban Politics: How Politics is Embedded in Residential Design” at a joint GMS – Political Science Comparative Politics Colloquium workshop. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Professor Noah Nathan (MIT) will hold an informal workshop for doctoral students in GMS and Political Science on October 15th (4:30-6:00pm, Social Science Matrix). The workshop will focus on using satellite imagery and GIS to study urban political and social processes. Discussion will focus on Nathan’s experiences using this data, including his reflections on opportunities […]

On Friday, September 19th, 12:00-1:30pm, GMS will hold an Open House for potential and existing DE Students. Come learn about our programming, reconnect with friends, and hear about colleagues’ summer research projects! And come celebrate longtime GMS friends Prof. Matt Kondolf and Prof. Isha Ray’s contributions to GMS and water-related research! Lunch will be provided. […]

Racist policing and unaffordable housing are central crises of the early 21st century. Indefensible Spaces: Policing and the Struggle for Housing tells the story of how the two intersect in the Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County’s northernmost outpost and a destination for those priced, policed, and evicted out of Los Angeles. The book follows the […]

Professor Jackelyn Hwang, Sociology, Stanford The Great Recession was marked by the collapse of the housing market and foreclosure crisis, but many places now face a new housing crisis marked by the lack of affordable housing. In 2019, nearly 50% of renters reported paying more than 30% of their income toward rent, compared to 37% […]

Professor Nicole Marwell, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago. Most leaders in today’s nonprofit sector can tell you why nonprofits should do a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. In this talk, Nicole Marwell presents findings from her forthcoming co-authored book that explains why […]

For urban studies, after more than a century, the question as to what is “urban” remains a vital framing for theoretical enquiries. In the current moment of explosive, fragmented and arguably planetary urbanisation, some quite fundamental lines of enquiry emerge, like, what and where are the territories of urbanisation? To discern what “urban” might be, […]