COURSE SCHEDULE

 

Links to Info about New York and Los Angeles

 

Week 1: Course Overview - Defining Cities and Social Justice

8/30  Introduction

9/01 Situating Cities Globally and Historically

Readings:

optional readings:

 

Week 2: Defining Cities and Social Justice cont’d

9/06 Social Justice and the City

Readings:

 

9/08 Evolution of Cities

Readings:

  • First Person Accounts of Great Cities of the Medieval and Early Modern Period (CR)
  • Engels: The Great Towns (CR)
  • Octavia Butler: The Parable of the Sower: Chapter 8-10

Additional Resources:

Phase I A of Research Prjects: List of Team Members

 

Week 3: Contemporary Cities

9/13     American Cities

Readings:

  • Jackson: The Drive-in Culture of Contemporary America (CR)
  • Octavia Butler: The Parable of the Sower: Chapter 11-13

Additional Resources:

 

9/15     Sustainable Cities

Readings:

  • Readings: Bass Warner: The Megalopolis (CR)
  • Handout McKibben Curitiba;
  • Octavia Butler: The Parable of the Sower: Chapter 14-end

Discussion of Research Prjects

 

Week 4: The City and Its Natural Resources: The Case of Los Angeles

 

9/20:     Phase I A + B of Research Prjects: Fact Sheet Presentations

 

9/22:    Finish up: Phase I A + B of Research Prjects: Fact Sheet Presentations

Man-made Disasters

Readings:

  • Handout Mike Davis: Dialectic of Ordinary Disaster;   (Handout Mike Davis’ book: Ecology of Fear)
  • Handout: Tomgram: Mike Davis on the political sidelining of Blacks
  • Handout Marc Reisner  The Red Queen (optional if you watch the video “Cadillac Desert” screened next Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday)

Phase I A + B of Research Prjects: Fact Sheet Presentations

Week 5 The City and Its Natural Resources: The Case of Los Angeles cont’d

Video Screening on Clarkson Cable Channel (98): Cadillac Desert Sunday 9/25 at 4pm and 6pm; Monday 9/26 and Tuesday 9/27 at 9pm

 

9/27     Los Angeles River Disasters

Readings

o       Handout: Mike Davis: How Eden Lost its Garden (Handout Mike Davis’ book: Ecology of Fear)

  • Wheeler: Planning Sustainable and Livable Cities (CR) (optional)

o       Timothy Beatley: Green Urbanism (CR) (optional)

 

9/29     Midterm

 Teams: Schedule Meeting with Reference Librarian

 

9/30: FALL RECESS BEGINS AT THE END OF THE LAST CLASS OF THE DAY – FRIDAY, SEPT 30.

CLASSES RESUME ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 05, AT 8:00AM

 

Week 6: Urban Cultures and Space: Case Study Los Angeles

10/06  Discussion: The LA River Project

We will use this as an example of how to design a research project.

Please inform yourself about the LA River Project!!! Below are some required and recommended sources:

Required readings:

Recommended:

 

Week 7: Urban Cultures and Space: Case Study New York

10/11   Video NYC -Vol 7: Robert Moses' Urban Renewal

Team Research Projects Phase II: Abstracts

 

10/13   Discussion of Urban Renewal in NYC

Readings:

optional:

  • Introduction to Part Six (CR 339-341)
  • Davidoff: Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning (CR)
  • Forester: Planning in the Face of Conflict (CR)

 

Week 8: Urban Cultures and Space:  Case Study New York

10/18:    

Research Design Exercise

10/20: Research Design Exercise

Week 9:  Urban Cultures and Space: Case Study New York

10/25   Homeless Citizens

Readings

 

10/27   Homeless Citizens Cont’d

Readings:

o       Duneier's Sidewalk: Part II 115-156.

o       NYT article on Recycling Cans  

o       Statistics on Homelessness - nationwide

Week 10:  Urban Cultures and Space: Case Study New York cont’d

11/01 Readings

Optional readings

.Phase III of Research Projects - Research Proposal Due

11/03  Immigration and Ethnic/Racial Diversity of Cities

Readings: Handouts

Week 11:

11/08   Class Cancelled due to Fieldtrip to NYC

 

 

11/10   CR Mike Davis "Fortress LA" pp. 193-198;

Phase IV of Research Projects

 

Week 12: Sex and the City

11/15 Readings:

 

11/17  Hayden: What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like? (CR), View some of the episodes of sex and the city, showing on cable television)

o       Behind Closed Doors

o       Revolving Door.

 

 

Week 13:

11/22  Class Cancelled for Team Research Project

THANKSGIVING RECESS BEGINS AFTER LAST CLASS OF THE DAY

CLASSES RESUME AT 8:00AM ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28

 

Week 14:

11/29 Final  - Study Guide

 

11/31 Class Cancelled for Team Research Project

 

Week 15: Presentation of Team Projects

12/06 Team Project Phase IV Presentations of Team 4 1 3

12/08 Team Project Phase IV Presentations of Team 5 2 6

 

12/12: Revised Team Projects Due