Doha   -   Dubai   -   New York   -   Pearl River Delta   -   Other Cities

The aim of this course is to provide the critical tools necessary to examine the city as both a representation and a reality in flux.

Through an interdisciplinary framework we will study urban history, theory, visual thinking and information design. Weekly lectures will introduce world cities and their typologies, e.g. the classic city, the shrinking city, the growing city and the megalopolis. Through readings, films, and class discussions that highlight the juxtaposition of socio-economic and physical factors, students will gain a more sensitive and holistic understanding of urban issues. Parallel to these urban explorations, we will study and employ a diverse set of tools with which to map urbanism, including traditional mapping techniques such as Nolli plans and Sanborn maps; cultural critiques of world map projections and tourist maps; and contemporary experimental explorations which draw from art, architecture and interactive web design. Weekly assignments will include student projects and presentations that synthesize required readings, writing and mapping. The final outcome will involve city case studies and the utilization of various representational techniques to create inventive mappings, possibly documented in a multi-media format. Our aim will be to learn new ways of seeing and portraying the city.