Term: Spring, 2007
Instructor: Tony Filipovitch, 106d Morris Hall, xt.5035, 388-2264 (home)
Office Hours: My office hours are posted here (other times, too—make an appointment)
Note: Some of the course materials will be found online on Desire-to-Learn (D2L)
LeGates,
Richard & Frederic Stout.
(2003) The City Reader, 3rd Ed.
Week |
Date |
Topic/Notes |
Activity/Project |
|
1 |
1/17 |
pp. 9-18 |
||
2 |
1/22 |
35-42; 43-48; 58-66; 172-180 |
||
3 |
1/29 |
105-113; 235-243; 375-387 |
||
4 |
2/5 |
244-255; 388-398 |
||
5 |
2/12 |
354-374; 388-398 |
||
6 |
2/19 |
|
|
|
7 |
2/26 |
147-150; 156-163;207-211 |
||
8 |
3/5 |
309-316; 317-336; 424-436 |
||
9 |
3/19 |
212-220 |
||
10 |
3/26 |
“On the Outside Looking In” HV4506.M6O5 1999 |
||
11 |
4/2 |
Transportation |
|
114-118; |
12 |
4/9 |
97-104; 267-276; |
||
13 |
4/16 |
302-308; 413-423 |
||
14 |
4/23 |
486-496; 497-503 |
||
15 |
4/30 |
|
||
Finals |
5/9 |
|
|
Chances are that when you get out of here you will live in a city (80% of Americans do). Although we often complain about what “they” are doing in or to our cities, the truth is that the city is us—the city you will live in will be the city you make. Introduction to the City is designed to help you develop an appreciation of cities and learn how to make the city you live in not only livable but also enjoyable.
By the end of this term you will have mastered knowledge of:
1. the forces (historical & contemporary; sociocultural, physical, and creative; domestic & global) that influence the place you live;
2. how formal institutions for planning and governing the city function.
And you will appreciate the values of:
1. sociocultural differences
2. democratic citizenship in a global environment
And you will demonstrate skills in:
1. using the analytical methods of the social sciences
2. using and critiquing alternative explanatory systems
3. developing alternative solutions/explanations for contemporary urban problems (both domestic and global)
The course also serves as a general education option. As a result, the course encompasses some broad goals related to the learning process and decision making. Among the goals for this course are to provide an opportunity for:
In this course you will read about cities and their opportunities and problems. You will also need to wander about in them. Above all you will need to think about them.
A variety of techniques will be employed throughout the course. My teaching style in this course is based on an "adult-centered" model which assumes that you are active participants, each responsible for your own learning, and I am a facilitator and resource who helps you advance your project. My goal for myself as a teachers is to "take you someplace you would never before have gone alone."
With apologies to Michael Feldman (of Public Radio’s “What Do You Know?”), there are four disclaimers that go with this course:
1. This is a course about the forces that are shaping contemporary cities.
If you want a course on the history of urban design, look at URBS110 (The City); if you want a course on urban environmental issues, look at URBS150 (Sustainable Cities); if you want a course on urban politics, look at URBS230 (Community Leadership). In fact, by the end of this course I hope you do look into one of these other general education courses.
2.
The book is not the course!
The textbook is a tool to help you master the course, but the course is much bigger than the book. Just because it is not in the book does not mean it is not important—often I think it is more important (or I would not have gone through the trouble to work it in).
3.
Sure,
Professor Filipovitch knows a lot—but that’s not the point!
He’s been around a lot longer than you, and they have actually been paying him to read books! The trick is to get him to talk about the things you want to know.
4. This is a general education course.
The course is designed to broaden your general education, in addition to passing on specific urban studies information. Such things as the etymology of words, phrases in their original language, the philosophical roots of an idea, or the basic science behind an application are not digressions. They are connections. And, I hope, the beginning for you of a lifetime of exploring the connections between ideas.
You are expected to read the assigned readings and notes prior to their due date (see the Course Calendar). To get credit for the week, you must hand in a brief (one-page) summary the following Monday of what happened/ what you learned, and your response to two questions:
· The one thing I learned this week that stands out most in my mind is….
· I am still not clear about ….
I also encourage you to read a
daily newspaper—preferably the
Generally, each week will involve some sort of activity. Sometimes the activities and projects will be in-class, sometimes they will be on your own. These activities will fit together into 3 units, with a summary written reflection/analysis at the end of each unit. The essay assignments are available from the hyperlink to this section. At this link, you will find the grading criteria. I also encourage you to read George Orwell’s excellent (if a little cranky and idiosyncratic) essay, “Politics and the English Language”—and to incorporate his advice into your writing.
There will be two tests in this class, at weeks 9 & 16. Questions will be based on the Topic Notes
and the
The points for the course will be counted as follows:
The final grade may be based on a curve, but you can expect at least an A if
you achieve 90, a B with 80, etc.
Extra Credit: In general, I do not encourage extra credit
in this class. I would rather that you put the extra effort into your regular
assignments. The only exception to this
rule is the point(s) that you earn by asking the “question of the
day” at the beginning of each class session (to a maximum of 5 points).
All assignments are due on the
assigned date. While I would prefer not to receive work late, you can get
at least partial credit for late work if it is no more than one week late
(better late than never, and better something than nothing). I reserve the right not to permit extensions
or makeups unless you obtained prior
permission or have a very good excuse.
Written reports are expected to be free of grammatical, spelling, and content
errors. They should be submitted in typewritten, standard formats (APA,
MLA, URSI Style Sheets). You must familiarize yourself with the
University’s Academic
Honesty Policy. I encourage you to
draw on the ideas of others—but you must also identify when you do so
(you gain “brownie
points” for citing the work of others!).
Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic behavior and will result in
an F for the course.
I will help you in whatever manner humanly possible. However, once the semester is over, there is not a great deal I can do. If there is something that you don’t understand, are having problems with, or need help on, please get in touch with me as early as possible.
Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with disabilities. If you area student with a documented disability, please contact us as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at 507-389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
© 2003 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 1 January 07