Cahokia and St. Louis: a Synthesis of the American Built Environment

This event is sponsored by the H+U+D Mellon Grant, supported by the Benjamin Franklyn Seminar on Concepts for Understanding Space in the Americas.

Five miles apart on both sides of the Mississippi,  Cahokia and Saint Louis epitomize the American experience. The largest indigenous city north of Mexico (pop. 50k 1000 CE); the French explorations of 1700s; the Louisiana Purchase of 1803; Settler colonialism in the Western US; World Fair and Olympic Games 1904; Segregation and deindustrialization in the late 20th century.  All condensed in those few square miles.  This conversation will unpack concepts from Cahokia that might hold answers to the future of Saint Louis.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu. Please note, we require at least five (5) business days’ notice.