Comparative studies in the field of urban research

This paper examines the role of the comparative method in urban research, paying attention to its usefulness for theory generation and the peculiarities of comparisons between cities of different regions. In doing so, it presents a literature review that groups comparative studies in thematic areas without being rigid, aiming to identify the characteristics of these studies. It also presents reflections that emerge from the revision of comparative studies produced by one of the authors, reading them in parallel with more recent research that implements the comparative method. The conclusions point out some relevant features that influence the characteristics of comparative studies and suggest that they will continue to be important in urban research as long as they avoid deterministic or essentialist views about cities.