Urbanism and the Social Production of Space

The course introduces contemporary urbanism, offering a comprehensive exploration of how cities and urban systems are made, remade, and even unmade. It approaches contemporary urbanism through urban theory, research and practice to investigate the relationship between a set of intentions and consequences. It reflects the multidimensional nature of the externalities that determine the complex processes of urbanization and draws discussions on the fields of architecture, planning, landscape architecture, and social science.

With a focus on physical, social, environmental, technological, political and economic forces that influence city-making and urban life, this course analyzes various types of urban issues and phenomena, exploring through the questions of aesthetics, power, equity and sustainability measures. In doing so, the course offers an understanding of the challenges of the 21st century, spanning from architecture to the city to the planetary, and equips students with both conceptual and practical frameworks to observe, document and analyze diverse urban milieus.