A selective, non-major curriculum for up to 20 talented and strongly motivated students in each entering class, the Cities Program examines cities and urban issues, past and present, in the United States and elsewhere, from various humanities and social science perspectives. In the first year, participating students take a specified sequence of four courses (two each semester), all of which have been expressly created for the program and are not open to other students. As sophomores, they choose an approved elective from the regular curriculum that addresses a particular interest they have in cities (e.g., urban architecture and design, urban politics, the history of cities, contemporary urban problems). The elective is usually taken in the fall, but may be taken in the spring. In the second semester of the sophomore year, students complete the program by satisfying the final requirement. This requirement may be met by any one of a number of different means, such as a tutorial, an individual or small-group research project, an internship, or a suitable course. The means chosen must be approved in advance by the student’s adviser and the director of the program.
The Cities Program, which admitted its first students in the spring of 1996, is designed to be compatible with every major offered at Trinity, including not just those in the humanities and social science disciplines that are central to the program, but also those in the arts and the natural sciences. The Cities Program has also become a launching pad for students to continue with an urban studies minor (instituted in 2010) or major that is scheduled to be introduced in 2012-13.
In March of each year, exceptionally well-qualified applicants for admission to Trinity are invited to become candidates for the program. Applicants to the College who do not receive such an invitation but who find the program appealing may also become candidates by notifying its director, Dean Xiangming Chen, of their interest no later than April 25.
Fall Term
200. The American City— The course examines the evolution of American cities since the early 19th century, from early, dense centers of commerce and manufacturing to complex, sprawling metropolitan regions. It pays particular attention to Hartford as an example. Major topics include the impact of technological and economic change, attempts to control and guide development, immigration, conflicts among groups, and urban culture. The course will also track the evolution of American discourse about the cities as a social, cultural, and governance challenge, and the eternal effort to “fix” urban life. Only students in The Cities Program are allowed to enroll in this course. (Enrollment limited)-Walsh
[202. City as Built Environment]— This course examines the architectural and planning history of major European and American cities from ancient Greece to ca. 1900. Topics will include the nature of city centers and the role of public space, the formalization of town planning as a discipline, patterns of patronage and architectural education, the infrastructure of cities, and the influence of new technologies and industrialization on cities. A selection of examples—Athens, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Washington, DC, Berlin, Vienna, New York—will serve as case studies. Only students in The Cities Program are allowed to enroll in this course. (Enrollment limited)
Spring Term
[200. The American City]— The course examines the evolution of American cities since the early 19th century, from early, dense centers of commerce and manufacturing to complex, sprawling metropolitan regions. It pays particular attention to Hartford as an example. Major topics include the impact of technological and economic change, attempts to control and guide development, immigration, conflicts among groups, and urban culture. The course will also track the evolution of American discourse about the cities as a social, cultural, and governance challenge, and the eternal effort to “fix” urban life. Only students in The Cities Program are allowed to enroll in this course.
202. City as Built Environment— This course examines the architectural and planning history of major European and American cities from ancient Greece to ca. 1900. Topics will include the nature of city centers and the role of public space, the formalization of town planning as a discipline, patterns of patronage and architectural education, the infrastructure of cities, and the influence of new technologies and industrialization on cities. A selection of examples—Athens, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Washington, DC, Berlin, Vienna, New York—will serve as case studies. Only students in The Cities Program are allowed to enroll in this course. -Curran
207. Cities in Global and Historical Perspective— This course will examine cities, past, present, and future, from the standpoint of the social sciences. It is concerned with historical patterns of city growth, planning, and change; the variation in cities across the regions of the world; and the way in which the increasingly global economy has shaped contemporary cities and the interconnections between cities. The course also focuses on the distinctive impact of cities on social, political, and intellectual life. Only students in The Cities Program are allowed to enroll in this course. (Enrollment limited)-Sacks
Courses Originating in Other Departments
Art History 247. Architecture and Urbanism from 1500 to 1750— View course description in department listing on p. 470. -Triff