Landscapes Through Time: The History of St. Louis' Built Environment

3 units

From the Mississippian mound builders to the urban conditions of the present day, this course will investigate the different approaches of various cultures to creating built environments that meet the needs of their time in terms of landscapes and structures. Using the City of St. Louis as an example, the course will examine the layout and infrastructure of the city at various periods, discussing the effects of technological changes in the creation of structures, improvements to transportation, facilitation of trade and the effects of these forces on the cultural and built landscape of the city. The course will also trace the history of inequity within the city and the imposition of racial apartheid. Each class session will discuss the structures and landscapes that defined individual eras in the history of the city, and the ways in which these were successful or unsuccessful. This course fulfills the History/Theory Case Studies elective requirement. Requirements will include a mid-term paper, two in-class reports and a final paper.