Architects and the Urbanization Process

Neither architecture nor urbanism are codified as disciplines. Accordingly, architects can base their interventions in cities upon a multitude of premises. Conceptional options are multiplied because city, urban society, urban economy are all subjected to complex processes of transformation. The connection between architecture production and urbanization is the focus of this seminar. Lectures and assigned readings will present urban environments from the late 19th century to the recent past and present: their representation and perception, their configuration, transformation or reconstruction. Linking urban space to economic regulation and social differentiation, we will ask how cultural shifts impact the concept of ‚urbanity’ and problematize the role of architects. In particular, we will ask how they deploy symbolic capital in changing urban environments.