Analysis of Human Settlements: Cities

Catalog description

This course focuses on the design and analysis of cities from ancient to modern time periods in the U.S. and the world, taking into account the cultural and historical ways human settlements develop, how cities relate to one another, and the wide array of built forms and material culture that make up built urban environments over time ¿ from arcades, squares, and streets to gardens, monuments, and more. If you have a genuine interest in learning more about how cities evolved and the historical and modern issues confronting the many diverse individuals and groups who thought about and influenced the planning of cities, this should be an interesting semester. One broad goal of this course is to enhance your urban literacy by developing the critical analytic skills needed to understand and appreciate cities in all of their complexity. These issues are not only pertinent to urban designers, architects, landscape architects and others who are directly involved in the planning of cities, but they are also vital to the diverse cultures and social groups who inhabit, experience, and also shape urban environments. The design and development of cities is a useful barometer for also understanding the political, economic, ethical, and other forces that guide and shape their development over time. This makes cities challenging to analyze because they are not static forms. They are ever changing and evolving.