Course Description: Contesting the City: Critical Approaches to Space, Place and Urbanism*

Contesting the City: Critical Approaches to Space, Place and Urbanism*

46-3125

Cities are ever-changing spaces that are defined and re-defined through our experiences, memories and cultural practices. For some, they are merely places for work, leisure and commerce, but for others, they are something far greater: landscapes to traverse, sources of identity, canvases, homes and political battlegrounds. In this course, we will look at the different ways people have both theorized, and actively contested, the meaning and function of cities. We will explore the utopia/dystopia of the city through the eyes of avant-garde artists, political activists, skateboarders, graffiti artists, bicyclists, walkers, drivers, squatters, culture jammers, community organizers and the urban poor.

Course descriptions are stored in OASIS and are maintained by the Associate Dean for each School.

* Prerequisite Required.