Introduction to Urban Design and Development
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this graduate-level course on how cities take shape and how planners intervene to change them. Part one examines the economic, political, and social forces that shape urban form, while part two surveys models of physical design and social intervention used to address competing pressures on cities, drawing on U.S. and international examples. Materials include lecture notes, readings, and assignments, with lectures supplemented by discussion sessions, student project work, and field trips. The course covers theories of urban analysis and design alongside practical implementation strategies, giving students a framework for both understanding existing cities and proposing changes to them. Free to access through MIT OpenCourseWare, with no certificate offered.