4.241J Theory of City Form (Spring 2013, MIT OCW): Lecture 13 - Utopianism as Social Reform and Built Form

4.241J Theory of City Form

4.241J Theory of City Form (Spring 2013, MIT OCW). Instructor: Professor Julian Beinart. This course covers theories about the form that settlements should take and attempts a distinction between descriptive and normative theory by examining examples of various theories of city form over time. Case studies will highlight the origins of the modern city and theories about its emerging form, including the transformation of the nineteenth-century city and its organization. Through examples and historical context, current issues of city form in relation to city-making, social structure, and physical design will also be discussed and analyzed. (from ocw.mit.edu)

Lecture 13 - Utopianism as Social Reform and Built Form

This lecture starts with defining the goals of utopia, and its address of the boundary problems in society. Example communities are discussed to analyze why such communities fail. The works of three architects are discussed with the lens of social reform.

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Lecture 01 - Introduction

Lecture 02 - Normative Theory I: The City as Supernatural

Lecture 03 - Normative Theory II: The City as Machine

Lecture 04 - Normative Theory III: The City as Organism

Lecture 05 - Descriptive and Functional Theory

Lecture 06 - Dimensions, Patterns, Agreements, Structure, and Syntax

Lecture 07 - The Early Cities of Capitalism

Lecture 08 - Transformations I: London

Lecture 09 - Transformations II: Paris

Lecture 10 - Transformations III: Vienna and Barcelona

Lecture 11 - Transformations IV: Chicago