VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.
History of Urban Design - City Foundations
Geschichte des Städtebaus - Stadtgründungen
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:25:00
Abstract
City foundings
Objective
The aim of the seminar is to emphasize on the understanding of the means of shaping through which a certain idea of the city was able to be accomplished. Further on the complex framework of determinants will be part of the analysis. The seminar adresses to students interested not only in the analysis of a specific case study on an urban scale but also in discussing the different aspects of the strategy of city foundations in the course of history.
Content
The topic of city foundations is part of a three year long program, in which different strategies of urban design are being discussed. As can be seen in the work of Richard Rogers in Lu Jia Zui city foundings do play a role in man's history from the beginning until today. The reasons for the decision to create a new city can range from colonizing unknown territory, to make a political statement in usurped foreign territory, to house workers of an adjoining company, to create ideological centers or simply to relieve the strain on an existing city. No matter what the main reason for the city founding was, the common claim was to create an ideal urban space to house the needs of a society. The new city's goals were to overcome the disadvantages of the existing city and to keep the promises of a better life. So besides actual built new cities there are an endless number of utopian city projects. The seminar will discuss built and unbuilt city foundings in two consecutive independant semesters. In the fallsemester 2008 we will emphasize on the time until the Industrial Revolution and in springsemester 2009 on those after that time.
Resources
Lecture Notes
There will be no script handed out.
Literature
Literature will be distributed as a biblographical list at the first session.
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- BSC , DS , MSC
- Frequency
- Semesterly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Geschichte des Städtebaus - Stadtgründungen |
|
2 h weekly |