The course explores visionary and practical concepts of city design and planning, past and present, and how design can address such looming challenges as urban population growth, climate change and rising sea levels. Participants will be encouraged to make proposals for city design and development, starting with their own immediate environment.
University of Pennsylvania and coursera offers this online course.
About the course:
Designing Cities is a ten-week course starting in September 2014. Every week will focus on a different aspect of Designing Cities including: How Today's City Evolved; The Ideas That Shape Cities; Tools for Designing Cities; Making Cities Sustainable; Cities in the Information Age; Preserving Older Cities; Designing New Cities, Districts and Neighborhoods; The Challenges of Informal Cities and Disadvantaged Neighborhoods; and Visionary Cities.
Materials will be presented by the instructors and guest faculty from PennDesign through a series of five or mor modules per week, each typically 10-12 minutes long.
Course syllabus:
- Week 1: How Today's City Evolved
- Week 2: Ideas That Shape Cities
- Week 3: Tools for Designing Cities
- Week 4: Making Cities Sustainable
- Week 5: Cities in the Information Age
- Week 6: Preserving Older Cities
- Week 7: Designing New Cities, Districts and Neighborhoods
- Week 8: The Challenges of Informal Cities and Disadvantaged Neighborhoods
- Week 9: Visionary Cities
- Week 10: Concluding Comments
Duration: 10 weeks of study
Timings: 4 to 6 hours of work / week
To apply, click here.