Moving Target

Catalog description

Cities are constantly on the move. Half the world's population lives in urban areas, with numbers steadily rising. How have cities depended on, and been shaped by, such mobility? What will future systems of movement look like? Can emerging technologies and information networks increase sustainability in urban transport? Can we develop prosperous, safe, and connected cities while also managing impacts on climate and public health? Bringing global and critical perspectives to bear on such questions, the course reckons with the realization that optimal mobility systems are a constantly moving target. Drawing on material from multiple disciplines, students will examine changes and challenges throughout history and across regions as they ask how mobility shapes cities, how physical mobility relates to "upward" social mobility, and how planners and citizens might better address the mobility needs and wellbeing of diverse groups. Students will engage in ongoing debates and will explore different media (e.g. animations, photography, essays) to address such questions.