Theory of City Form
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this urban planning course examining how theories of city form have shaped settlement design from antiquity through the modern era. Lectures and case studies trace the transformation of the nineteenth-century city, contrasting descriptive accounts of how cities actually grew with normative theories about how they should be organized. Readings cover historical models of urban form alongside contemporary debates linking physical design to social structure and city-making practices. The course includes MIT's original syllabus, reading lists, and assignments drawn from its architecture and urban studies curriculum, useful for anyone studying the history and theory behind city planning decisions. No certificate is offered, but all course materials are freely downloadable under MIT's open license.