Course Description
Students will learn about the social, cultural, economic, and political processes that have contributed to the evolution of cities in ancient and modern societies. Students will be able to identify and interpret similarities and differences in urbanization processes, urban features, and their associations in past and current societies. Students will gain an understanding of city development as it relates to sustainability and resilience.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to consult additional readings, produce written critiques of selected readings, and write a comparative research paper or an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposal.
Athena Title
Comparing Cities
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course links past and present urbanization processes and urban traits to: o address basic social and ecological concepts as they relate to the developments of cities and urbanism over time and space o combine theory, method, and data to create sound interpretations o explore pathways to sustainable and resilient societies o help students employ a comparative and cross-cultural approach to understand global sociocultural processes o help students design and produce papers, lead discussions, and deliver research in oral and written formats
Topical Outline
o Basic Concepts to Define and Compare Ancient and Modern Cities o The First Cities: Ancient Urban Trajectories o The Cities We Know: The Origins of Modern Urbanism o Urban Form and Pattern: Cities as Social, Political, and Ideological Constructions o Urban Community: Public Spaces and Social Order o Urban Relations: Cities in Regional and Interregional Contexts o Urban Sustainability: Risks and Resolutions o Urban Decay: Collapse and Revival
Syllabus