Foundations of Urban History

Catalog description

Cities are among the most complex cultural artifacts produced by human societies. This course introduces foundations of urban history by examining how the physical form of cities—streets, blocks, public spaces, edges, and infrastructures—records historical change. Rather than following a single linear chronology, the course is organized around recurring urban forms and questions that reappear across different places and times. Using maps, plans, and key historical readings, students will learn to interpret urban form as evidence of the political, economic, social, and environmental forces that shaped it.