URBS 280 - Reading New York City: Landscapes of Power

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as GEOG 280) Reading human or cultural landscapes has a long tradition in geography, art history, urban studies, and related fields. This course focuses not just on interpreting the cityscapes of buildings, but also on reading the broader landscapes of New York City. We explore the intersecting spatial forms, political-economic powers, and environmental histories that comprise the city’s landscapes of power. Specific topics include the natural history of Manhattan since the native Lenape peoples faced Dutch and British colonization; hydrological transformation with the arrival of upstate water; urban expansion, immigration, and racial segregation; impacts of urban renewal and redevelopment; contemporary gentrification and displacement; and impacts of climate change, given increasing storm surges and sea-level rises of the urban archipelago. Readings include works by notable geographers, historians, sociologists, landscape ecologists, and others. Brian Godfrey.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS