Contact Information

Department of Geography              
University of the Fraser Valley
33844 King Road,
Abbotsford, B.C.
V2S 7M8
Email: John.Belec@ufv.ca
Phone: 604-854-4562
Office: A407B Abbotsford

My fascination with urban geography, I now realize, began as a child. Endless hours were spent constructing, and de-constructing urban landscapes in the basement of my parents suburban home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. My interest in urban studies followed me through adulthood, and I completed degrees in urban geography at Brock University (BA[Hons], 1978) and Queen’s University (MA, 1980; PhD, 1988). My university teaching career began in 1984 at Nipissing University.  I moved to UFV in 1992.

Research Interests

Most of my university activities relate to three areas of research that have been ongoing for the past decade or so. These include: 1) study of the Fraser Borderland 2), evolution of urban housing markets and suburban communities and 3) applications of Geographical Information Systems to urban studies. Although different in terms of object of study, nevertheless there is a degree of overlap, for example the GIS techniques in (3) are used extensively in (2).

For a more detailed description of research interests, see my research activity summary.

 
    Wenberg State Park Washington
                         July 2006

Courses taught at UFV

Geog 130
Geography of Canada

Geog 253
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems

Geog 344
The Geography of Urban Development

Geography 352
Explanation in Geography: Quantitative Methods

Geography 444
The Geography of Suburban Development

Geography 421
Fraser Borderlands

Directed Studies