Research Guides: WRPR 101: Finding a Voice (HC): Cities

Cities

Felix Stahlberg, Commercial cityscape [Times Square], 2017 (Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

Blogs and News

CairoObserver: Place, Urbanism, Architecture
Blog, feature articles and images reflecting on the city and on urbanism more broadly.
Global Urban History
This blog brings together global and urban history in innovative ways. The blog contributors work closely with the editors of the Global Urban History Project.
Next City
Non-profit organization presenting news and articles promoting "solutions for just and equitable cities." Register as a free member for unlimited access to news stories and more.

Databases

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
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Provides citations to journals in the fields of architecture, city planning, interior design, historic preservation and archaeology. Covers 1930-present.

Black Voices on the City: A Resource Guide
Find scholarship by Black researchers and practitioners about city planning and urban studies.
Sociological Abstracts
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Find journal articles, essays in books, dissertations and more in the fields of sociology and related disciplines. Covers material published from 1963 to the present.

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews are a particularly useful resource when doing research. They address the issues involved in a specific question and the debates among scholars. They map out the intellectual terrain succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles for greater understanding. It is one of the best places to find discussion of issues that are unresolved or in contention.

Oxford Bibliographies Online Urban Studies
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Provides bibliographies of and encyclopedic articles about more than 50 topics in urban studies. Includes introductions to each topic area, guides to introductory works, textbooks, journals, reference works and links to useful websites. Bibliographies are browsable by subject area and keyword searchable.

Major Journals

Journal of Planning Literature
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Includes review articles and abstracts of recent literature in city and regional planning and design. JPL offers an understanding of the state of knowledge of the field for use in research or professional practice.
Urban Affairs Review
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Leading scholarly journal on urban issues and themes

Associations

American Planning Association
See resources under Policy and Advocacy as well as the Knowledge Center tab for publications and research.
Urban Affairs Association
This is an organization for urban scholars, researchers, and public service professionals. See the Past Conferences page for abstracts of papers given at recent annual meetings.
Urban Institute
This research organization makes reports, news policy papers and data available to users.

Keeping Current

Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
This organization makes social science scholarship searchable and provides full text access to many of the pieces. SSRN collects conference papers, journal article pre-prints and working papers. This is a good place to find very recent material.
Urban Network
This portal from the University of Chicago provides access to current research and data to promote ideas that can transform cities.