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Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Undergraduate Architecture Program, Course Syllabus ARCH 515, Building CitiesCredits: 3 Type of Course: Elective Seminar Class Meetings: Wednesday 10pm - 1pm Location: Prerequisites: None Enrollment Cap.: 25 Instructor: John Lobell Course Description Academic city planning has abandoned an interest in the physical building of cities, focusing instead on social and economic policy. Architecture too has abandoned the building of cities, focusing on individual buildings. Yet today, cities around the globe are springing up like mushrooms. They are being designed by engineers and developers. But architecture and the will do build form have a long traditions in the design of cities. This course looks at some of those traditions in the late 19 th and 20 th Century. Cities are central to civilization. How have they been built in the past and in the industrial and post-industrial eras? How does city form reflect culture and consciousness? How has modern ideology affected the city? The influences of Hausmann, Burnham, Le Corbusier, Moses, Bacon, and others. COURSE REQUIREMENTS • Required reading • Notes must be taken in class and may be reviewed DETERMINATION OF GRADE • Quizzes on reading, approx 50% • A paper, approx 50% • Grades may be lowered for poor attendance and lack of participation
REQUIRED BOOKS The City of To-Morrow and Its Planning Le Corbusier "The Street Becomes Dominent: The Transformation of Paris, 1853-68" On Haussmann's Paris From Space, Time and Architecture, Sigfried Giedion Pages 641-679, Thirteenth printing, Fourth Edition,1962 Distributed in xerox Plan of Chicago Daniel H. Burnham
Design of Cities Edmund N. Bacon
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York Robert A. Caro The Economy of Cities Jane Jacobs These books have been ordered by the Pratt bookstore. Also see the end of this course outline for information on the books from BaransAndNoble.com and Amazon.com, and details to enable you to order the book online. Note : These books are expensive, but I believe them to be fundamental to the library of any architect.
ARCH 515P
SCHEDULE SCHEDULE 1. Introduction
2. A Modernist Approache Reading: The City of To-Morrow , pp v-26, 107-126, 163-289 Design of Cities , pp 228-241 (Corbu and Briasilia) 3. Hausmann's Paris Reading: "The Street Becomes Dominent: The Transformation of Paris, 1853-68" on Haussmann's Paris, xerox distributed From Space, Time and Architecture , Sigfried Giedion Design of Cities , pp 187-195 (Paris) 4. The Chicago Plan, Part I, Overview, Parties Involved, History of Cities Reading from: Plan of Chicago, chapters I & II
5. The Chicago Plan, Part III, The Plan and Hierarchies of Scale Reading from: Plan of Chicago, chapters III, IV, & VI 6. Robert Moses Reading from: The Power Broker, INTRO, Parts I, II, III 7. Robert Moses Reading from: The Power Broker, Parts IV
8. Bacon Reading from: Design of Cities, pp 13-65 (principles) First draft of paper due
9. Bacon Reading from: Design of Cities, pp 107-155 (Renaissance and Baroque) 10. Bacon Reading from: Design of Cities, pp 254-306 (power of ideas, Philadelphia) 11. Economy of Cities Reading: Economy of Cities Final draft of paper due 12. Cities of the Future
13. Discussion of Papers
Notes on Lectures 1. Introduction Academic city planning has abandoned an interest in the physical building of cities, focusing instead on social and economic policy. Architecture too has abandoned the building of cities, focusing on individual buildings. Yet today, cities around the globe are springing up like mushrooms. They are being designed by engineers and developers. But architecture and the will do build form have a long traditions in the design of cities. Discussion of course, required books, reading, and paper.
2. Modernism and the City Understanding modernism. The roles of: rationalism, materialism, progress, and planning. · The manifestation of modernism in architecture: Wright, Mies, Le Corbusier, Gropius. · Manifestations of modernism in urbanism in Europe: Le Corbusier's Ville Radiuse, precedents, and influences. Brazillia, Chandigar. · Manifestations of modernism in urbanism in the U.S.: Clarence Stein, etc. U.S. public housing. Modern rationalism denies the organic nature of the city, the need for redundancy, and the unpredictability of development, the nature of industrial and post-industrial culture, and the nature and meaning of freedom and free markets.
3. Hausmann's Paris In his rebuilding of Paris, Haussmann established the issues and methods in city design in the industrial period: · Independent bonding authority · Boulevards and monumental buildings · The tenement and the street · Parks · Connection of railroad stations · Sewers Critics of Hausmann. 4. The Chicago Plan, Part II, History of Cities Developed in the late 1800s, the Chicago Plan continues to serve as a paradigm of one city planning process. The plan: · Gathered architectural, engineering, planning, business, financial, and political leaders. · Surveyed historical precedents. · Looked at scales from regional down to buildings · Considered agriculture, transportation, watershed, recreation, etc. The involvement of not only architects and planners, but also bankers, developers, and business people. For the Chicago planners, step one of the planning process is to educate all participants and the public in the history of city planning.
5. The Chicago Plan, Part III, The Plan and Hierarchies of Scale The Chicago plan is not just for the city's downtown, but works it way inward, hierarchically, from the region, in steps, down to the block.
6. The Power Broker Robert Moses and the building of New York's infrastructure · Independent bonding authorities · Bridges · Highways · Parks · Housing · Institutions The reaction against Moses (Caro's The Power Broker). The reaction against doing something. The investment in stoping things. Recent counter reactions. Comparison of Moses, Bacon, and Logue. The limits of the ability of electoral politics to address urban issues.
7. The Power Broker The culture move from making things happen to stopping things. 3/13 No Class. Spring break
8. Bacon The city as an act of will, lead by a professional with a knowledge of the history and techniques of their discipline. Broader democratic involvenment comes as a result of the professional "structuring the dialogue."
9. Bacon
10. Bacon
11. Economy of Cities In The Economy of Cities, Jacobs refutes the notion that cities developed after agriculture produced surpluses. Instead, she argues, cities began with trade, and then developed agriculture. She further shows the necessity for cities to be open to innovation and contrasts the planned economy of Manchester England, with the open and evolving economy of Burningham England. We can see the same principles at work today as U.S. cities move from manufacturing to new industries.
12. Cities of the Future The impact of the communications revolutions on the future of cities.
13. Discussion of Papers
Paper TOPIC Choose one of the books listed below. Write a paper covering the following: • In an introductory paragraph, give the name, date, and author of the book plus a brief description of it including when it was written, the background of the author, and how the book has been received. • State the basic premise(s) of the book. • Describe who the author establishes their premise. • Give your thoughts on how successful the author is in establishing their premise. • Give your thoughts on the premise (Is it valid? Is it important?). • Discuss the relevance of the book and its ideas for us today. LENGTH Four to 6 pages, with 12 pt type, Times New Roman font. This means a paper of from approximately 1,200 to 2,400 words. FORMAT Separate title page, with the title across the center of the page In the lower right hand corner • Your name, • Course • Section • Date, and your building section 8 ½" x 11" white paper, black type, one staple in the upper left corner, no plastic covers Computer generated USAGE For foot notes, references and usage, make reference to the handbook: A Writer's Reference , Fourth Edition, Diana Hacker, Bedford/St. Martin's • Identify your sources with footnotes. All direct quotes must be put in quotation marks and footnoted. In general, you should quote only primary sources. All extensive use of information from a single source should also be footnoted, even if it is put into your own words. • Identify all of your sources in a bibliography. • Your essay should cover the material above, but also organize it in a clearly structured and stylistically coherent narrative. Do not hesitate to have a friend read your essay and critique its content and style. You can also improve your writing by reading it aloud to someone else, or to yourself. For any questions on usage, consult A Writer's Reference. I will mark up your first draft and return it for your use in doing the final draft. Book List for Paper
Or another book of your choice. Check with me first.
Material on the required books from BarnsandNoble.com and Amazon.com The City of To-Morrow and Its Planning by Le Corbusier, Frederick Etchells (Translator) Paperback - 352 pages reissue edition (June 1987) Dover Pubns; ISBN: 0486253325 From the Publisher The great revolutionary architect's probing analysis of urban problems and their origins, and his bold solutions, which include the 'Voisin' scheme for the center of Paris, and the more developed scheme for a 'City of Three Million Inhabitants.' Introduction. Foreword. l33 black-and-white illustrations. 82 black-and-white halftones. Description from The Reader's Catalog A provocative essay, written in 1929, advocating a rationalized environment in which traditional urban features would become obsolete Plan of Chicago by Daniel H. Burnham, Charles Moore (Editor), Edward Bennett (Contributor) Hardcover - 268 pages Reprint edition (June 1993) Princeton Architectural Press; ISBN: 1878271415 From the Publisher Princeton Architectural Press's Reprint Series was established in 1981 to make rare volumes on architecture available to a wider audience. The books' beautiful reproductions and finest quality printing and binding match those of the originals, while their 9-by-12-inch format makes them accessible and affordable. New introductions bring a modern voice to these classic texts, updating them to become invaluable contemporary, resources. These critically acclaimed books are an essential addition to any library. From Booknews Burnham and Bennett's landmark text--published in 1909-- revolutionized urban design. Adopted by the city of Chicago, the plan had a major impact on its development, particularly that of the Lake Shore, detailing proposals for circulation, transportation facilities, civic buildings, and parks. This reprint reproduces all 143 plates from the original, 48 in color. It also contains a plate of City Hall, rendered in color by Jules Guerin, that was omitted from the original edition. Kristen Schaffer's new introduction examines Burnham's handwritten draft of the book, focusing on those parts that were edited out of the publication, to suggest a reinterpretation of the plan. Exquisitely beautiful and belongs on coffee tables as well as in libraries. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Design of Cities by Edmund N. Bacon Paperback - 336 pages Revised edition (May 1976) Viking Press; ISBN: 0140042369 From the Publisher The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs Paperback (February 1970) Vinyard Pubns; ISBN: 039470584X From the Publisher "An astonishing book. It blows cobwebs from the mind, and challenges assumptions one hadn't even realized one had made."--The New York Times From the Back Cover "The Economy of Cities is an astonishing book. It blows cobwebs from the mind, and challenges assumptions one hadn't even realized one had made. It should prove of major importance." -- Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times "This book is radiant with ideas about what makes cities rich or poor, how cities grow, and how city growth affects national economies." -- The New Yorker "What Mrs. Jacobs has done ... is to begin to formulate a badly needed urban myth for our now almost urbanized... read more From the outset, Jane Jacobs makes it clear that this is an attack on City Planning as it's done by most city governments. It's almost Jeffersonian in its recommednations: teh cities that are the most livable are those which are the least planned by top-heavy, over-manageed bureaucracies. Like all whose insigts are brilliant, Jacobs' observations and recommendations are deliberately distorted or totally ignored by those who are actively involved in "city planning" in nearly every American City. THE ECONOMY OF CITIES and Jane Jacobs' writings generally, serve to illustrate the major problems for those with brilliant insights, sagacious advice, and great wisdom: the people who should be the prime audience are not interested. Best book on Economic Development ever written, March 11, 2000 Reviewer: Lancelot R Fletcher (see more about me) from Jersey City, New Jersey The title of this book is slightly misleading, because the thesis of the book is that cities play an essential role in the process of economic development. Although its anecdotal style gives this book a disarmingly unsystematic appearance, this is a profound book. It is easily one of the most important books written during the 20th century. Economic development is something about which conventional marginal utility economics has very little to say. The Economy of Cities, therefore, fills a kind of void. It stands to conventional economics in much the same position as quantum physics stands to classical physics. A simply wonderful book. Lancelot Fletcher lrf@aya.yale.edu The Right Kind of Economic Development, March 3, 2000 Reviewer: John from Rockville Centre, NY This volume is a perfect sequel to Jacobs' first and most famous book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. While that volume explores the characteristics of vital urban areas, The Economy of Cities describes the economic mechanisms that fuel urban prosperity. It is a shame, though, that so few policy leaders heed Jacobs' analysis. If they did, society would have fewer half-witted economic development scemes like athletic stadiums and more intitatives that foster human innovation. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro Paperback - 1246 pages (July 1975) Random House (Paper); ISBN: 0394720245 Plan of Chicago Daniel Burnham With Edward Bennett
From the Publisher The story of Robert Moses, who shaped the politics, the physical structure and even the problems of urban decline in New York. Annotation One of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the Pulitzer and the Francis Parkman prizes, The Power Broker tells the hidden story behind the shaping (and mis-shaping) of twentieth-century New York (city and state) and makes public what few have known: that Robert Moses was, for almost half a century, the single most powerful man of our time in New York, the shaper not only of the city's politics but of its physical structure and the problems of urban decline that plague us today. In revealing how Moses did it--how he developed his public authorities into a political machine that was virtually a fourth branch of government, one that could bring to their knees Governors and Mayors (from La Guardia to Lindsay) by mobilizing banks, contractors, labor unions, insurance firms, even the press and the Church into an irresistible economic force--Robert Caro reveals how power works in all the cities of the United States. Moses bulit an empire and lived like an emperor. He personally conceived and completed public works costing 27 billion dollars--the greatest builder America (and probably the world) has ever known. Without ever having been elected to office, he dominated those who were--even his most bitter enemy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, could not control him--until he finally encountered, in Nelson Rockefeller, the only man whose power (and ruthlessness in wielding it) equalled his own. Description from The Reader's Catalog Combines good reporting and good writing, and reminds that no interesting public figure is a stick figure What People Are Saying Surely the greatest book ever written about a city. --David Halberstam A masterpiece of American reporting. It's more than the story of a tragic figure or the exploration of the unknown politics of our time. It's an elegantly written and enthralling work of art. --Theodore H. White Apart from the book's being so good as biography, as city history, as sheer good reading, The Power Broker is an immense public service. --Jane Jacobs From the Critics From Richard C. Wade In the future, the scholar who writes the history of American cities in the twentieth century will doubtless begin with this extraordinary effort. --The New York Times Book Review
From Washington Post The feverish hype that dominates the merchandising of arts and letters in America has so debased the language that, when a truly exceptional achievement comes along, there are no words left to praise it. Important, awesome, compelling--these no longer summon the full flourish of trumpets this book deserves. It is extraordinary on many levels and certain to endure.
From Eliot Fremont-Smith The most absorbing, detailed, instructive, provacative book ever published about the making and raping of modern New York City and environs and the man who did it, about the hidden plumbing of New York City and State politics over the last half-century, about the force of personality and the nature of political power in a democracy. A monumental work, a political biography and political history of the first magnitude. --New York Magazine
From Philip Herrera A study of municipal power that will change the way any reader of the book hereafter peruses his newspaper. --Time
From Daniel Berger One of the most exciting, un-put-downable books I have ever read. This is definitive biography, urban history, and investigative journalism. This is a study of the corruption which power exerts on those who wield it to set beside Tacitus and his emperors, Shakespeare and his kings. --Baltimore Evening Sun CUSTOMER REVIEWS Allen Smalling, a free-lance writer from Chicago, March 9, 2001, A Must-Read for Anyone Stuck in Traffic 'The Power Broker' details New Yorker Robert Moses' slow rise to power as an idealistic Wilsonian Democrat fighting the entrenched power of corrupt Tammany Hall politics, his novel approach to parks planning (he invented the 'parkway,' for example), his massive public works (among them the Triborough Bridge and all of New York City's expressways), and his inevitable decline and fall after he refused to relinquish power in old age. As time wore on Moses became less and less the man of the people and more and more the man of the system of his own creation, and that system was the toll-gathering mechanism of New York's bridges and tunnels. He invented that peculiar institution, the 'authority' (as in Port 'Authority' or Tennessee Valley 'Authority') that is neither wholly governmental nor wholly private, and so lacks the restraints of either; Moses' cash cows kept him in power and gave him an antidemocratic arrogance that is truly breathtaking and, one hopes, will never be duplicated. Caro shows us the book's central irony--Moses came to power as an anti-Tammany reformer, then gradually became a stone-cold status quo icon who couldn't be budged. Ever wonder why New York City's expressways are so confusingly laid out? Could it have something to do with the fact that Moses had a Packard and chauffeur at his beck-and-call and never worried about driving? In the forties and fifties cities across the USA rushed to emulate New York (big city--big problems--big solutions). Now cities all over America are rushing to supplement or undo Moses' work, tearing down high-rise public housing in favor of garden apartments, refusing to widen the freeways knowing they'll just clog up again (sometimes they'll sell concession rights to private tollways, but those tollways are definitely not nickle-and-dime affairs), and of course beefing up commuter train and light-rail service. When Moses started ripping out streetcar lines in the late 1940s, he called it 'progress'. Since when is destroying your transportation infrastructure a sign of progress? This is an extremely long book and, though riveting, extremely 'wonky' in terms of detail. Politicos will love following the passage of laws in Albany and social-history buffs will be amused at Moses' choice of shirts (Brooks Bros.' until his fastidious boss gave him a whole box of Sulka). In the 1960s, the news that one track of a double-track railroad could carry more people than an eight-lane freeway was just an amusing point of trivia; now it's cause for revolt as hapless commuters beat their steering wheels in frustration, fix their faces, shave, change radio stations, imagine non-existent rapid transit lines running down the center median. When bureaucrats give us what they want us to have, not what we want to have, dislocations inevitably result. Read this fascinating book and find out how New York City and the surrounding area regrettably missed out on the opportunity to make itself a much more rational, orderly, livable place during the 20th Century. A reviewer (jfrech@aol.com), A fan of Bob Caro, January 20, 1999, Bob Moses - hero & visionary, yet forgotten man This is my third Caro book, following his Lyndon Johnson works. The detail of his research is unequaled. Moses is a heroic, yet tragic public servant. His early work in preserving land for parks was outstanding, yet the power that befell him because of this success would later become his downfall. In this day of the media and some people calling for 'term limits' on politicians, they should really rethink their postion. Term limits should be implemented for bureaucrats like Bob Moses who spend their entire careers on the public dole. Voters can limit politicians, but who limits the bureaucrats that become the Bob Moses of the world, who become totally unresponsive to the taxpayers? This book is another outstanding work by Caro. I anxiously await his next work on Lyndon Johnson. |
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