Built Environment and Culture: Examining the Modern City

Catalog description

This interdisciplinary course is based on the premise that space is an active structuring element of human experience. Using theoretical orientations from disciplines like Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Geography, History, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology among others, this course investigates how social structures are spatially embedded in contemporary built environments, especially cities. We focus on cities, because we live in a rapidly urbanizing world, and since 2008, more than half the world's population have been living in urban areas. In this class we examine how social systems impact places, especially the modern city, and also how we as human beings are impacted by and impact cities. Cities are examined in historical context, starting from the mid 19th century. We study industrial, colonial and global cities. We then focus on enduring themes pertaining to the experience of cities by different groups in society based on factors like gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. A variety of western and non-western cases are used to understand cities in a variety of contexts. This course will complement LARCH 60 and other courses related to human settlements and urbanization offered by various departments/programs like Architecture, Art History, Geography, History, and Sociology. This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirement, and the intercultural requirement (US/IL).