HIST 214 - Building the Past

CR: 3
Prerequisite: ANTH 114 or HIST 223 is suggested, but not required. This course explores how humans built and tried to sustain large-scale settlements in the pre-industrial past. We will examine innovations in construction techniques, city planning, resource utilization, and the human impact on the natural environment. Case studies include Etruscan and Roman engineering, ancient Greek site planning, medieval “organic” cities, and Renaissance urban design. We will also consider how past urban designs may provide solutions for problems facing megacities of the future. Offered alternate years. III.O, V.1