GEO 3300 Urban Design
Urban Design is the process of shaping the built environment of cities to improve both the functioning of the urban systems and the quality of life of the residents. Given that over half of the global population resides in cities and the UN predicts a growth of 2.5 billion people in urban areas by 2050, improving the design of our cities is vital to meet the security, economic, social, and environmental needs of the 21st century. Combining aspects of urban planning, community design, and architecture, students will examine a variety of theories on urban design, discuss foundational texts in related disciplines, work in groups to develop specific urban design plans, and explore local metropolitan areas as living laboratories for field-based learning of urban design concepts. This course also considers the history of systemic racism in southern US urban planning history – from Jim Crow to Redlining to Urban Renewal – and examine ways modern urban planners are addressing these inequalities and supporting diverse communities.
Course Types
Society
- • Understand the basic timeline of urban history in the US South with local municipalities as case studies.
- • Gain an introductory understanding of major processes of urban management, including planning, design, and administration.
- • Identify a breadth of stakeholders in urban design decisions and consider their values and perspectives in design decisions.
- • Explore a variety of urban design projects in the area to identify intentions and effects of different projects.
- • Examine how urban design impacts social interactions, including how urban design practices have reinforced structural inequalities.
- • Study historic examples of systemic racism in urban planning policy and identify ways in which modern urban designers are addressing past inequalities and supporting diverse communities.
- • Practice articulating your own insights and opinions about urban design and community development in a supportive and inclusive learning environment.