SYLLABUS

AIM
This course discusses the development of urban form from the earliest settlements to the contemporary city. It explores the political, economic, social and cultural reasons for city formation and its visual expression. The course will look at the main actors of city planning, its methods and techniques as well as forms of representation. It is conceived as a basic course, to introduce you to some major players in the field and may serve as background for future research or work. It is therefore considered important that you carefully study names, dates, places and visual documents.

REQUIREMENTS
This course requires active class participation and reading. There are two exams with 20% each, a final paper (40%) as well as two assignments and two essays to be prepared in groups for discussion sections (20%). All these should be submitted in a timely fashion.

TEXTBOOKS
You should buy the required books. These books and some other major texts are also available on reserve and/or e-reserve.

I.   Introduction

Week 1:   The Nature of Urban Form
(Jan. 22, 24, 26)

Read:

• START:  Lynch, Kevin, The Image of the City, MIT, 1960

II.   City Form Worldwide/the Question of Urban Origins

Read:

• FINISH:  Lynch, Kevin, The Image of the City, MIT, 1960;
• Childe, V. Gordon, "The Urban Revolution," Town Planning Review, 21 (April 1950), p. 1-17;
• Lopez, Robert S., "The Crossroads within the Wall," in: Oscar Handlin and John Burchard eds. The Historian and the City. MIT 1963, p. 27-43;
• Bianca, Stefano:
  1. "Basic Principles of Islam and their Social, Spatial and Artistic Implications," p. 23-48; and
  2. "Environmental, Cultural and Historic Shaping Factors of Islamic Architecture," p. 49-72.

Week 3:   Asian Cities: From their Origins to the Present
(Feb. 5, 7, 9)

Read:

• Steinhardt, Nancy, Chinese Imperial City Planning, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p. 1-28;
• Jinnai, Hidenobu, Tokyo: A Spatial Anthropology, University of California Press, 1995, p. 7-65.

III.   European Cities

• Morris, A.E.J., History of Urban Form:
1. "Greek City States," p. 35-54
2. "Rome and the Empire," p. 55-91
• Nichols, Deborah L.; Charlton, Thomas H., ed. The Archaeology Of City-states: Cross-cultural Approaches. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997, p. 95-105

Week 5:   Medieval Cities, Renaissance and Absolutism
(Feb. 19, 21, 23)

Read:

• Saalman, Howard, Medieval Cities, New York, 1968, 11-45;
• Morris, A.E.J., History of Urban Form:
1. "The Renaissance: Italy sets a Pattern," p. 157-220

1.  Monday, Feb. 26th - Hour examination

IV.   Cities in the Americas

• Morris, A.E.J., History of Urban Form:
1. "France: Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century," p. 191-220;
2. "Spain and her Empire," p. 292-320;
3. "Urban USA," p. 321-364.
• Low, Setha M. "Cultural Meaning of the Plaza:The History of the Spanish-American Gridplan-Plaza Urban Design," in: Rotenberg, Robert; McDonogh, Gary (eds.), The Cultural Meaning of Urban Space, Westport, CT, 1993, p. 75-93.

Friday, March 2 - Hand in assignment

• King, Anthony, "Exporting planning: the colonial and neo-colonial experience," in: Cherry, Gordon E. ed., Shaping an Urban World: Planning in the Twentieth Century, London, 1980, p. 203-226

V.   The Modern City:
Industrial Revolution and the Origins of Modern Planning

• START:  Choay, Françoise, The Modern City: Planning in the Nineteenth Century, New York, 1970

• FINISH:  Choay, Françoise, The Modern City: Planning in the Nineteenth Century, New York, 1970
• Engels, Friedrich, The Condition of the Working Class in England, tr. 1958, chap. 3

VI.   Planning and Urban Development in the Early 20th Century

• START:  Fishman, Robert, Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century, New York, 1977

• FINISH:  Fishman, Robert, Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century, New York, 1977
• START:  Jacobs Jane, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, 1962

VII.   Planning and Urban Development Since the Second World War

• FINISH:  Jacobs, Jane, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, 1962

• Davidoff, Paul, "Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning, 1965," in Scott Campbell and Susan S. Fainstein, eds. Readings in Planning Theory, Blackwell, 1998, p. 305-22;
• Ritzdorf, Marsha, "Feminist Thoughts…," in Campbell and Fainstein, 445-50;
• Fainstein, Susan, "Planning in a Different Voice," in Campbell and Fainstein, 456-460;
• Garreau, Joel, "The Search for the Future inside Ourselves," in: Edge City, New York, 1991, p. 3-15;
• Bressi, Todd, "Planning the American Dream," in Peter Katz, The New Urbanism, p. XXV-XLII.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Draw the way from your house (a place you know well or the College you live in) to your high school, the post office, bank, shopping mall or other local landmarks.
2. Analyze your sketch in a short text. We will discuss your findings in class.
• What did you see?
• What did you not see?
• Was your memory related to a particular means of transport or your age?
• Is your mental map correct in scale? If not why? etc.

1. Go in groups by one of the following methods
• walking
• jogging
• bicycling
• train
• car towards Philadelphia for 30 min.
2. Organize the group; select a map and an appropriate itinerary.
3. Highlight it on the map and explain your choices in a short written statement.
4. Record what you see at the speed that you are moving, what obstacles you meet, etc..
5. Take photos (not the person who is driving) or sketch.

2.   Final paper due at the beginning of the class on April 23 (40%).
Several options are available:

1. An essay, composed of visual materials, which applies Kevin Lynch´s theory of urban legibility to Philadelphia. You may use photographs, drawings, pictures cut out of magazines, xeroxes, or any combination of these. The point is not to compose a guidebook, but to make a thoughtful selection of images (about 15 is usually enough) which illustrates Lynch´s theory. Text should be kept to a minimum: captions or brief commentary, a short introduction explaining what has been selected and why. Team projects are welcome, but discuss this option with Carola Hein first.



2. An overlay map, drawn to scale and including a directional arrow, showing a European city in three major phases of its development. Street patterns, location of main public buildings and spaces, and fortifications, if any, should be shown. Suggested cities: London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Vienna. Choose from among these periods: ancient, medieval, Renaissance, early modern, modern. It is not necessary to draw well to select this alternative. Consult Carola Hein about the best materials to use



3. A paper of ca. 1750-2500 words (7-10 pages) discussing the history of an important street over a significant time span. The text may be accompanied by drawings, pictures, or other visual analysis. Suggested streets: the Strand, London; Unter den Linden, Berlin, lower Broadway, New York City. Consult Carola Hein early in the semester: you must have permission to choose this option.



4. A group of three book reports on related titles in the recommended reading list above (total c. 2500 words, 9-10 pages). Consult with Carola Hein early in the semester: you must have permission to choose this option.



5. You may propose a topic of your own choice after browsing through the reserve and the library. This should be a research paper of 1750-2500 words plus footnotes and bibliography. Consult with Carola Hein early in the semester: you must have permission to choose this option.

3.   Visual Assignments
For the visual assignments, you should prepare a list of the documents you are going to use and explain briefly why you have chosen them. For the written assignments, the proposal should be two or three pages long and summarize your ideas. It should contain a bibliography and references with short explanations.

1. The Images
   What kind of image are you seeing? Is it a map or plan, a view, a photograph? Does it have the same date as the site it represents, or is it a later construct? Who made it and why? - If it is a map or a plan, does it show the entire city or site, or only a portion? Why? - If it is a view or photograph, does it show the entire city or site, or only a part? Why? What is the angle of view? Why was this angle selected?

2. The City Which Is Depicted
   What is the name and date of the city? Of what civilization and economic system is it a part? What is its approximate population? Its function? What is the location of the city, and its relation to the surrounding territory? What is the topography of the city itself? What is its area? What is the size of its population? Was it planned or unplanned? Partially or in its entirety?

3. Streets
   Do they form an orthogonal layout (grid) or not? Are they of uniform or variable width? What is the relation of their width and layout to the heights of buildings? To the location of public spaces, major buildings, walls and gates, transportation system?

4. Location of Functions
   Which areas of the city serve each of the following functions: marketplace, industry, commerce, housing, workplace, government, religion.

5. Public Spaces
   What kind are they, where are they located, what is their size and shape? What functions do they contain? What is their relation to streets and/or major buildings?

6. Major Buildings
   What kind are they, where are they located, what are their functions? What is their position in relation to streets and public spaces? How large are they in relation to streets and public spaces? How large and/or dominant are they in relation to each other? In relation to lesser buildings, such as housing?

7. Walls and Gates
   Are they real or metaphorical? Where are they located? Are they the result or the cause of the placement of streets, public spaces, and/or major buildings?

8. Transportation Systems
   What kinds of transportation exist in the city? What is their importance for the location of the city? For the location, size and shape of walls and gates, street layout, public spaces and major public buildings? For the location and character of workplaces and residential quarters? Water supply, sewerage, energy: Identify, locate and assess the importance of each of these for the other physical features described above.

9. Building Technology
   What materials are used in buildings, roads, fortifications? What systems of measurement are employed? Interpretation

10. Intrepretation
    To what extent do these physical features of the city reflect the economic, social, political, religious and philosophical systems of which the city is a part? What evidence supports your answer to this question?

READING AND RESERVE LIST

REQUIRED READING
(reserve/bookshop)

Bianca, Stefano

Urban Form in the Arab World, Thames and Hudson, London, 2000

• "Basic Principles of Islam and their Social, Spatial and Artistic Implications," p. 23-48
• "Environmental, Cultural and Historic Shaping Factors of Islamic Architecture," p. 49-72

Bressi, Todd

"Planning the American Dream," in Peter Katz, The New Urbanism, p. XXV-XLII

Campbell, Scott; Fainstein, Susan

Readings in Planning Theory, Blackwell, 1998, p. 305-22

Childe, V. Gordon

"The Urban Revolution," Town Planning Review, 21 (April 1950), p. 1-17

Choay, Françoise

The Modern City: Planning in the Nineteenth Century, New York, 1970

Engels, Friedrich

The Condition of the Working Class in England, tr. 1958, chap. 3

Fishman, Robert

Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century, New York, 1977

Garreau, Joel

Edge City: Life on the Frontier, New York, 1991

• "The Search for the Future inside Ourselves," p. 3-15

Jacobs, Jane

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, 1962

Jinnai, Hidenobu

Tokyo: A Spatial Anthropology, University of California Press, 1995, p. 7-65

Lopez, Robert S.

"The Crossroads within the Wall," in: Oscar Handlin and John Burchard eds. The Historian and the City. MIT 1963, p. 27-43

Low, Setha M.

"Cultural Meaning of the Plaza: The History of the Spanish-American Gridplan-Plaza Urban Design," in: Rotenberg, Robert; McDonogh, Gary (eds.), The Cultural Meaning of Urban Space, Westport, CT, 1993, p. 75-93

Lynch, Kevin

The Image of the City, MIT, 1960

Morris, A.E.J.

History of Urban Form, Longman 1994

Saalman, Howard

Medieval Cities, New York, 1968, p.11-45

Steinhardt, Nancy

Chinese Imperial City Planning, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p. 1-28

RECOMMENDED READING
(on reserve)

Especially Recommended as Background Reading

Hall, Peter

Cities in Civilization, Pantheon Books, 1998

Scully, Vincent

American Architecture and Urbanism, New York, 1969

Recommended for Background Reading and Reference

Abu-Lughod; Hay, R.

Third World Urbanization, New York, 1979

Bianca, Stefano

Urban Form in the Arab World, Thames and Hudson, London, 2000

Blakely, Edward J.; Snyder, Mary Gale (eds.)

Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States, Cambridge, MA, 1997

Clark, David

Urban World/Global City, London 1996

Fathy, Hassan

Housing for the Poor, 1973

Fishman, Robert

Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century, New York, 1977

Gallagher, Winifred

The Power of Place, New York, Poseidon Press, 1993

Gutkind, Erwin

International History of Urban Development, 7 vols, 1964-8

Hall, Peter

Cities of Tomorrow, Cambridge, MA, 1988

Hall, Peter

The World Cities, London, 1984 (3rd ed.)

Hayden, Dolores

Redesigning the American Dream, MIT, 1985

Hayden, Dolores

The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press, 1995

Jackson, Kenneth

The Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States, Oxford University Press, 1985

Jacobs, Allan

Great Streets, Cambridge, MIT, 1993

Jacobs, Jane

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York, 1962

Jones, Emrys

Towns and Cities, New York, 1966

Katz, Peter

The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community, New York, McGraw Hill, 1994

King, Anthony

Urbanism, Colonials and the World-Economy, Cultural and Spatial Foundations of the World Urban System, London, 1990

Kostof, Spiro

America by Design, New York, 1987 (video series; book)

Kostof, Spiro

The City Assembled, Boston, Little Brown, 1992

Kostof, Spiro

The City Shaped, Boston, Little Brown, 1991

Lavedan, Pierre

Histoire de l´urbanisme, 3 vols., Paris, 1926-52, 1959

Lynch, Kevin

The Image of the City, MIT, 1960

McCamant, Kathryn; Durrett, Charles; Hertzman, Ellen

Co-Housing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves, Berkeley, CA 1994

Marling, Kral Ann (ed.)

Designing Disney's Theme Parks: An Architecture of Reassurance, Paris/New York, 1997

Olsen, Donald

The City as a Work of Art, London, Paris and Vienna, New Haven, 1986

Peattie, Lisa

Planning: Rethinking Ciudad Guyana, Ann Arbor, 1987

City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia: A New Urban Direction, Saint Joseph´s University Press, 1999

Reps, John W.

The Making of Urban America: A History of City Planning in the United States, Princeton University Press, Princeton New Jersey, 1965

Rotenberg, Robert; McDonogh, Gary (eds.)

The Cultural Meaning of Urban Space, Westport, CT, 1993

Schinz, Alfred, The Magic Square

Menges, Stuttgart, London, 1996

Warner, Sam Bass

Streetcar Suburbs: The Process of Growth in Boston 1870-1900, Cambridge, MA, 1962

Warner, Sam Bass

The Private City: Philadelphia in three periods of its growth, Philadelphia, 1968, 1987

Wright, Gwendolyn

Building the Dream: a social history of housing in America, New York, 1981

Wright, Gwendolyn

Moralism and the Model Home: domestic architecture and cultural conflict in Chicago, 1873-1913, Chicago, 1980

Wright, Gwendolyn

The Politics of Design in French Colonial Urbanism, Chicago, 1991