James E. Vance, Jr.

James E. Vance, Jr. (1925–1999) was an American geographer known for his contributions in historical, urban and transportation geography. His approach developed the emphasis on studies related to transportation and settlement relationships as well as evolution of city systems. He was a pioneer in the study of "urban morphogenesis", a term coined to explain the creation and subsequent transformation of urban form.[1] He was a Professor of Geography at the University of California in Berkeley and he authored books that are considered classics in the study of geography.[2][3]

Early life

James E. Vance, Jr., fondly known as "Jay" to students, friends and family, was from Natick, Massachusetts. He completed his doctorate degree in geography at Clark University. He married Jean Vance, also a geographer, who died before him in the year 1992. They are survived by their daughter named Tiffany, who also followed the footsteps of her parents by pursuing a career in marine geography.[3]

Creative and academic contribution

This Scene of Man (1977)

This Scene of Man is one of the few books that James Vance authored. This book is known for its wide teachings on the history of cities in Western civilisation.[4]

The Continuing City (1990)

A continuation of the previous book, This Scene of Man, Vance wrote another book that focuses on the roles of cities with an intent of introducing a more integrated procedure in understanding the transformation and evolution of new cities. He continues to use the term "morphogenesis" for the methods he used in geography as written in most of his authorship.[4]

The North American Railroad (1995)

The North American Railroad: Its Origins, Evolution and Geography is Vance's account of why and where rail lines were built in the United States and Canada.[5]

Death

He died in his house in Berkeley on August 3, 1999.[3]

References
  1. Sharpe, Christopher A. (1986). "The Teaching of Urban Morphogenesis". The Canadian Geographer. 30 (1): 53–59. doi:10.1111/j.1541-0064.1986.tb01025.x. ISSN 1541-0064.
  2. Groth, Paul (2010-03-15). "In Memoriam: James E. Vance, Jr., 1925 - 1999". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 90 (4): 763–771. doi:10.1111/0004-5608.t01-1-00222. S2CID 129419035.
  3. Godfrey, Brian J. (1999). "The Geography of James E. Vance Jr. (1925-1999)". Geographical Review. 89 (4): 580–589. ISSN 0016-7428. JSTOR 216103.
  4. Vance, James E. (1977). This Scene of Man: The Role and Structure of the City in the Geography of Western Civilization (Harper & Row series in geography). ISBN 0061674079.
  5. Vance, Jr., James E. The North American Railroad: Its Origins, Evolution and Geography. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0-8018-4573-4.
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