The Public Space: Branded Landscapes and the Generic City

Today, cities are redefining their relationships with the natural world, spurring a new style that alters the dynamic between the city, man-made landscapes, and nature. Nature is no longer seen as the antithesis of the city and civilized life, something to control, on the one hand, and to imitate for urban dweller's social and physical heath, on the other.   Rather, it is seen as a persuasive branding tool that will enhance the city's image, attract development, and propel the economy forward. Presently, the urban landscape is often used as a spotlight to illuminate to the relationship between city and its periphery – the periuban, the suburbs, the countryside – and to reassess and question these relationships as well as the role of nature and its inherent power, our dependency on and stewardship of nature, and the prevailing image of nature.

This course focuses on the role of the public space and landscape in cities, exploring the ways in which planning strategies, policies, and practices, and, also, people, are shaping it. Reflecting on the relationships between man-made landscapes, nature, and power, examining landscapes, the course address public spaces and landscapes not simply as features to viewed and enjoyed, but as a cultural, economic, and political instruments.

What is the role of public spaces and landscapes in cities today? Has it changed and, if so, how? How have contemporary ideas, such as landscape urbanism and ecological urbanism shaped design trends and, in turn, our image of the city?  To what extent have we commodified landscapes and nature? How has this commodification influenced life in the city, including urban processes? Where do efforts to reclaim space within the city for nature fit in the power dynamics within cities?

Requirements: reading and participation in classes (30%), paper submission (70%).