Urban Studies

Using Jerusalem as a case study, this course analyzes the politics of planning when municipal management is complicated by religious and ethnic conflict. The course sheds light on issues of urban planning from a comparative perspective, which examines Jerusalem vis-a-vis Belfast, Nicosia, and Johannesburg; a historical perspective, which explores political and urban developments in the 20th century; and a planning perspective, which examines political, governmental, and municipal policies and policy making.

This course explores the relationship between the police, the judicial system, and policy makers in London. Students learn the history of the police force in the UK and the developments that have formed the Metropolitan Police in London today. Topics covered include corruption, race relations, policing major demonstrations and riots, and the impact of government policy on policing. Students explore the politics behind decisions and the framework of the law.

This course is an interdisciplinary course that explores the relationship between art and architecture through visits to London’s famous museums, art galleries, public artworks, and iconic architecture. Students analyze the impact architecture has on viewing art with seminars which take place in some of London’s most famous museums and galleries such as the British Museum, Tate Modern, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. The course then consider alternatives to this model, including more recent curatorial phenomena by organizations such as ArtAngel which commission contemporary artists to make artworks in unexpected places: from a performance in an abandoned Underground station to a concrete cast of an entire house. Through the lens of specific case studies of art and architecture, the course examines relevant critical issues such as race, globalization, and environmental justice. In doing so, students interrogate how urban circumstances have shaped issues in modern and contemporary art and architecture in London.