ASPO 25A36 - Cities Repair the World

This course explores urbanization and cities not just as a technical issue or a set of rules for organizing space, but as a powerful, political tool for addressing global challenges. We will investigate the city as a site of conflict and potential "repair"—social, ecological, and democratic. By critically examining historical models, contemporary crises, and emerging practices—from tactical urbanism to proximity—we will ask if and how urban planning can contribute to a more just, sustainable, and inclusive future. In the first part of this class, Paris will be our field of visits and experimentation . Seeing like Paris may help to interrogate cities from elsewhere, and vice versa.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the political, social, and ecological role of urban planning.
• Critically analyze past and present models of urban development.
• Evaluate tools and practices for creating more equitable and sustainable cities.
• Articulate a vision of the city as a space for social and environmental repair.

None. The course is open to all students interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the spatial turn in the social sciences

10 % participation

30 % a “rapport d’étonnement”, in pair, on a neighborhood of Paris, following the instructions provided in part I (representations, material asset, socio-political context, insertion in global networks, governance and actors’ game); at session #4;

30 % a test in class on the readings at session #8;

30 % a group analysis of a contextualized problem (for instance AirBnB, social Housing, or a neighborhood in transformation), analyzing a): the situation, b): what could have happened: c) what the city is doing. Due after session #12