College Pathway Programs - Pathways in City Planning and Politics (Session 1)

The world is urbanizing at an increasing rate, and the idea of the city remains a potent one for community builders, policy makers, and researchers of all kinds. This course explores the work of city-building through public policy, placemaking, and urban planning. Students will read from fundamental writings in urbanism and policy, and then hear directly from practitioners in the field - community organizers, elected officials, real estate developers, and other urban actors - to understand how theory meets practice in the form and function of the city, as well as visit local organizations and sites of urban intervention. While the course will focus on American cities, students will also have an opportunity to read and think globally about urbanism, and to learn from guest speakers who work in the field of international urban development. Many consider Chicago a paradigmatic American city, and there is much to learn simply from experiencing the boundaries of our campus and the ways in which our campus touches and changes the city. Students in this course will join the university’s long history of urban research that continues to this day, across disciplines.