History of architecture

History of urban planning: doctrines, projects and urban policies

The aim of this course is to explore, both thematically and chronologically, the history of urban planning, a term that we will question and restore in a broader lexicon (urban art, planning, development, town planning, urban design, Städtebau, etc.). Since its emergence at the turn of the 20th century, urban planning has remained an unstable, unified field. In the face of successive urban crises and changing political contexts, architects have contributed to the definition of this field through their theoretical and project-based contributions. One of the challenges of this course is to take a critical look at these responses, in order to provide elements of analysis for current situations.

Targeted skills
-Consolidation of the fundamental knowledge base of architectural culture.
-Acquisition of knowledge specific to urban culture, integrating a growing complexity of issues.
-Capacity to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach inherent in the analysis of urban projects.
-Capacity to demonstrate a critical and synthesizing spirit that enhances the training acquired, in written and oral expression as well as in the link with the introductory course on urban projects.

Après une séance introductive le cours s’articule autour d’une série de grands thèmes (la grande ville, ville et nature etc) qui traitent de plusieurs questionnements importants et de leur évolution permettant d’évoquer la place de l’architecte au sein des différents acteurs engagés dans la discipline de l’urbanisme. A l’appui d’une série d’extraits de textes issus de la bibliographie, l’évolution du discours théorique et critique tout au long du XXe siècle est analysée en parallèle à l’étude de projets issus de différentes aires géographiques. A l’intérieur de ces grands thèmes l’ensemble des séances suit un ordre chronologique et est appuyé par un propos historiographique.

Written exam.
For Erasmus students: possibility of taking the written exam in English.

Readings throughout the semester

Transmitted during the first session.