Case Studies in City Form

There are three distinct periods of urbanism in the twentieth century: 1) the continuation of the traditional city, from 1900 until at least 1925, if not the second world war; 2) the city of modern architecture, from 1925 (or 1945) until 1975; and, 3) the rediscovery of urbanism, from 1975 until the present. Each of these periods have been accompanied by writings that might fall into the three general categories: design (how to do it); theory (what to do); and history (why do it). There is an attempt to acknowledge both of these ordering systems in the selection and arrangement of the readings.

1. Peterson, Steven. “Urban Design Tactics. Roma Interrota.” Architectural Design Profile 49, no. 3-4 (1979).

4. Hegemann, Werner, and Elbert Peets. “The Modern Revival of Civic Art.” In The American Vitruvius: An Architects’ Handbook of Civic Art . Edited by Alan J. Plattus. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Company; Princeton, NJ: Princeton Architectural Press, 1988. ISBN: 0910413355.

5. Corbusier. “Une Ville Contemporaine.” In Complete Works in Eight Volumes . New York, NY: Birkhauser, 1994. ISBN: 3764355158.

6. Krier, Leon. “Urban Components.” Architectural Design 54 (July/August 1984): 43-49.

7. Schumacher, Thomas. “Contextualism: Urban Ideals + Deformations.” In Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory , 1965-1995 . Edited by Kate Nesbitt. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996, pp. 294-307. ISBN: 156898054X.

8. Koolhaas, Rem. “Toward the Contemporary City.” In Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory , 1965-1995 . Edited by Kate Nesbitt. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996, pp. 326-330. ISBN: 156898054X.

10. ———. “Museum in contested space: the sword, the scepter and the Ring.” In Thinking With History: Explorations in the Passage to Modernism . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998, pp. 105-125. ISBN: 0691059772.

11. Westfall, Carroll William. “Classical American Urbanism.” In New Classicism: Omnibus Volume . Edited by Andeas Papadakis and Harriet Watson. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 1990, pp. 73-75. ISBN: 0847812960.

WEEK #: 11 · TOPICS: Urban Fabric Civic Structure · Readings: Read 10