Urban Asia: Beyond Tradition, Modernity, and Crisis

In popular portrayals, the diverse cities of Asia are often caricatured as icons of eternal tradition, dazzling modernity, or intractable crisis. This seminar goes beyond these simplistic narratives to explore change and continuity in some of the world’s oldest and largest urban centers, delving into both the rich history of Asian urbanisms and the complexities of city life in the region today. Films, poetry, short stories, and artwork are paired with scholarly research to examine how urban Asia has been experienced, imagined, and represented over the centuries.