Building Modernity: Urban Planning and European Cities in the Twentieth Century

This seminar explores the history of urban planning in twentieth-century Europe. We will discuss visions of ideal cities and attempts at their implementation in the context of democratic and authoritarian systems as well as capitalism and socialism. Through case studies from eastern and western Europe--from Berlin in Germany to Nowa Huta in Poland--we will examine how broader historical trends played out in, and were shaped by, specific local circumstances. The seminar is intended for advanced undergraduate students.