Urban Studies

This course examines the contemporary city, in its highly varied manifestations, in a broad historical and geographic context. It explores the economic, social, and political drivers of urban form, the technological and engineering aspects of urban infrastructure, and the cultural character brought to the cities through the design of their buildings and public spaces. It examines governance and political issues in this context with a specific view toward the formulation of public policy to address the critical challenges that cities face. This is not a broad survey course. Instead, the focus is on specific challenges faced by cities and specific times in history, when rapid development and changing circumstances converged to generate emblematic forms of urban life. Students see common themes emerge, providing them with tools and a framework that can be used to understand urban issues today. A first part of the class reviews case studies of four major cities at a critical juncture of their development. The objective of this section is to give students historical perspective on the dynamics that affect cities and on the recurrent themes in urban management. A second part of the class deals with contemporary cities and contemporary urban issues. The instructor reviews six areas that are driving changes in cities and presents the most advanced current thought in each of these, often drawing from real-life examples of work in which he is involved in a professional capacity. The objective of this course is to give students a better awareness of the city as an historical and cultural phenomenon and of cities as a place of development of policies that having increasing weight and reach. Students learn to better understand the strategic issues for the management of cities today and in the future. The course is appropriate for students who wish to broaden their understanding of cities as places of policy formulation and implementation or for those who may wish to consider careers related to the realm of urban affairs.

The course focuses on recent Scandinavian architecture and urbanism that is represented by its key objects and architects. The first part of the course comprises lectures and seminars, together with excursions in Scandinavia; the second part of the course focuses on the students' own studies and the preparation of an exercise on analyzing a significant Scandinavian building.

This course introduces students to urban anthropology, and it is geared toward students who go on to do academic research in areas of applied research in urban settings. Since the 1930s, urban anthropology has been a main sub-fields of social anthropology, and with an ever-increasing percentage of the world's population living in urban contexts, the relevance of urban and modern modes of living has become central for anthropological research. In a world where global mobility is intense and consumerism dominates, it can be argued that even rural populations live under periurban conditions. Traditionally, urban anthropology dealt centrally with problems of marginality and deviance, but now increasingly the focus is on the interaction between urban planning and the politics of everyday living.

This course examines the city of Barcelona by focusing on its cultural history during the past two centuries. It combines the study of high or bourgeois culture with an analysis of popular, working-class, immigrant, and consumer culture. Finally, this course discusses contemporary issues facing the city today. It includes a number of on-site visits.

SEE

This course explores the main components of urban sustainability. It provides a study of the different conceptions of sustainability and issues related to identity and heritage, balance and environmental care, social cohesion and economic development, as well as city management and government.

Depletion of traditional fuel stores has been accompanied by increasing pollution levels. Consequently, motivations to lower carbon-emissions have elevated. To ensure change is achieved on a global scale a multinational agreement was confirmed in 2015 at the Paris climate conference whereby 195 countries agreed a legally binding global climate deal, the first of its kind. Advancements in the field of electrochemical engineering and the infrastructure that will subsequently facilitate such changes are essential in order to reduce dependencies upon traditional carbon-intensive technologies. For instance, battery technology for use in automotive applications will require a robust charging network in order to prevent energy shortages and power blackouts. This course provides insight into each stage of this process, from the chemistry and manufacture of new materials to the organization of the grid and the redesigning of our metropolitan infrastructure. 

 

This course introduces students to the history and the development of planning as a professional practice. Topics include core principles of modern planning, planning theory, settings and contexts of planning, values and ethics, underpinning contemporary planning, corruption, crime, and the Planning Tribunals.