4.241J Theory of City Form (Spring 2013, MIT OCW): Lecture 16

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 16 - Spatial & Social Structure I: Theory

The lecture starts with the relationship between social structure and spatial structure. Jerusalem is taken as a case study that frames ideas about religion as a democratic phenomenon, the emergence of the synagogue, and the notion of a shared capital.

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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