An aerial view of the Piazza del Commune in Assisi, Italy. (Photo courtesy of Prof. Julian Beinart.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Julian Beinart
MIT Course Number
4.241J / 11.330J
As Taught In
Spring 2013
Level
Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course covers theories about the form that settlements should take and attempts a distinction between descriptive and normative theory by examining examples of various theories of city form over time. Case studies will highlight the origins of the modern city and theories about its emerging form, including the transformation of the nineteenth-century city and its organization. Through examples and historical context, current issues of city form in relation to city-making, social structure, and physical design will also be discussed and analyzed.