How to Build a City

Catalog description

What makes a city special? What gives it energy, economic dynamism, cultural appeal and a particular feel or buzz? Is it top-down planning by civic leaders and architects, a mix of peoples and cultures, or some combination of strategies, peoples, and happenstance? As more of the global population moves into cities the question of how to create community in urban contexts has become increasingly urgent for policymakers, urban designers and everyday people. More than ever neighborhoods are becoming tethered with geographies beyond their city borders, prompting some to ask if there is an emerging global commons. This course will explore the dynamism of New York City through the emerging framework of placemaking: collaborative efforts to shape the places we inhabit in order to foster the conditions for community. Placemaking can vary in scope and scale from a small local park to a major tourist destination. We address the challenges of sustainable development and of creating a commons in an era of climate change. Students will engage in the critical study of New York City, culminating in a placemaking proposal. This course will be offered in June-Term 2025 in New York City, New York, USA.