Participants in this course will become familiarized with a diversity of iconic urban references from all continents, while acquiring skills that will facilitate planning and design processes, appreciating the value of interdisciplinary, multi-scaler initiatives, and the transformative contributions of city planning and urban design/placemaking.
It is a dynamic class in which each session is centered on a particular topic (see list below), combining class discussions on case studies presented by the instructor, guest lecturers, and teams of students. Interdisciplinary groups also are asked to deliver short planning/design exercises -without the pressure of the studios-, allowing to rapidly identify existing site conditions, design opportunities, delivering their proposals with compelling narratives, strategic moves, graphics, models, and verbal communication.
Course topics include: From territory to site-specific; On the public realm; The rehabilitation of historic districts; Mobility/infrastructure and public space; The self-constructed city; Community and urban design; Contending forces of nature; Ecological urbanism; New town planning; Urban art.
The class also organizes walking tours in Philadelphia. A final exhibit of the work delivered by the students will be held in Meyerson’s Plaza Gallery.
Refer to Penn Course Search for the official roster and details of courses offered in a particular term.