Research on urban systems and forms that have marked the development of Italian and Roman architecture from the 15th to the 18th century and that are now a reference point in every Western city: the piazza, the Roman palazzo, the theatre, the garden. The course is intended as a theoretical and analytical complement to the graduate architecture design studio in Rome. It fulfils the requirements of ARCH 8132.

Beyond the Historic Center lies the Rome that is lived-in by a majority of Romans and has been a great cauldron of experiments in housing and neighborhood design for over 150 years. We consider the relationship between the city’s historic center and its periphery as well as issues of building typology, architectural style and urban planning that track with Rome’s social transformations of 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The class consists of lectures and neighborhood walks that address such topics ‘smart’ cities, walkability, and urban design as a tool of social engineering; the effect of industrial growth on city planning; and the relationship between national identity and neighborhood identity.