ARCH 509, Section 2

Theories and Methods of Urban Design
Fall 2026
Instructors: María Arquero de Alarcón
Term: Fall 2026
Section: 2
Class Number: 37214
Credits: 3
Required: No
Elective: Yes
Meets: Tues, Thurs 10:00-11:30am 2222 A&AB
Course Brief: Download

This seminar surveys contemporary theories of urbanism as a lens for understanding urban design discourse and practice. Cities are simultaneously participants in, and resultants of, systems of economy, culture, and power. Accordingly, they can be examined to reveal embedded relationships between urban form and space, the urban publics, and prevailing cultural, economic and political regimes.  This course presents an interdisciplinary cross-section of theories of urbanization, drawing from architecture, landscape, planning, urban design, cultural theory, geography, sociology, political science, and ecology, in order to critically examine cities and the methods that have been used in urban design practice globally.

*Meets with UD 715-001