The course aims to provide the conceptual basis for understanding the social organization of space and the spatialization of the social question. The main theories and research methods for the study of territories will be presented, starting from the first investigations on the social dimension of the industrial city and coming to thematize the issues raised by the impact of globalization on urban space and the advent of planetary urbanism. It will analyze urban marginality, spatial justice, and the right to the city. Finally, the course will examine urban policies in different territorial contexts (national and international) that try to reduce socio-spatial inequalities and promote social cohesion.