Origins and development of sociological studies on the city. Theories and methods of spatial sociology. Social structure and social action: spatial order and system/environment relationship. Urbanism and development: modernization and urbanization. Fordist urbanism and its crisis. Urban policies, inequality, sustainability. Approaches to urban ecology. New urban landscapes and social change. Urban planning, policies and local governance. Contributions by sociology of the environment to urban studies. Environmental issues and social change. The empirical study of territorial phenomena: methodological issues and research tools.