Making the Invisible Visible: Global Urban Typologies in the 20th and 21st Century

This seminar presents tools for urban analysis and introduces the students to the process of knowledge distribution via book publishing today. Urban typologies as a tool to analyze, clarify, compare and provide solutions have become more important than ever. The urbanization process of the industrial era has set into motion a dramatic change of human life on planet earth. On the edge of the 20th to the 21st century, agglomerations have evolved into mega cities, whose number of inhabitants equals that of states elsewhere. By 2050, major cities in sub-Saharan Africa will have doubled the number of their citizens. Which analytical and prognostic tools will help to provide a sustainable and prosperous future for them? The course will introduce students to the process of researching, analyzing, selecting, writing about global urban environments, and reviewing academic books.