Spring 2022
Histories of Urbanism, Gender & Urbanization

Poster by César Reyes Nájera

The course aims to introduce students to the main projects and phenomena of urban planning and urbanization that have taken place since the mid-19th century, when the Industrial Revolution marked an exponential growth in the dynamics of urbanization. Today, the city is created through a series of relations between people, buildings, infrastructure, capital, services - to name but a few agents. Through an analysis of history, this course helps students to better understand what are the logics and dynamics behind those relational processes, and how they crystallize in urban forms and designs.

This historical course is based on two lines of thought, or two approaches to the 'history of the city' which intersect in this course. These two approaches (historical & thematic) are strongly related to the contemporary debate on the city, thus avoiding the teaching of history 'because of history'. The aim is to teach history because of its contemporary relevance, which should enable us to better understand certain urban problems or issues which surround us today, at the level of the territory, the landscape, the city and the social dynamics that connect them. The seminar will allow the students to mobilise history as an instrument which helps us to critically read the construction of the city and urbanization while also introducing a gender perspective.