Cities on the Move: Cars, Infrastructure, and Urban Futures

Catalog description

How do cities actually change the way people move? European cities are being reshaped by climate policy, electrification, digital platforms, and changing patterns of urban life. Using Berlin as a city in transition, this course examines how mobility systems are designed, governed, and contested in contemporary Europe - from public transport and cycling infrastructure to automobiles, logistics networks, and energy transitions. Mobility is analyzed as an integrated urban system shaped by infrastructure, industry, labor, and public policy. Berlin's transit system - integrated but less spatially coherent than in cities such as Copenhagen or London - along with contested bike lanes and layered governance structures, makes visible the political trade-offs behind infrastructure change. Site visits with operators such as Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) and Deutsche Bahn, along with comparative study through the rotating Will Trip, ground analysis in real-world practice. No technical background required. Open to students across engineering, environmental studies, social sciences, and public policy.