CONN 196 | Northwest Urbanism

This freshman seminar is designed for students who are interested in cities and fascinated by urban life. Our semester is devoted to the field-based exploration of three emblematic features of northwest urbanism: dead malls, waterfront promenades, and ethnic enclaves. As we explore these urban themes, students will have ample opportunities to find their footing in the scholarship, and will explore ideas via active, field-based research pertinent to the urban planning and to life in the city. Students will master a multifaceted set of research tools and will deploy those tools in multiple field-based exercises. Students will learn how scholarly and academic work can be applied in the resolution of real world problems and to various policy-making conundrums. Students will also hear from a variety of experts and practitioners at work here in the Pacific Northwest, thereby building the initial components of a professional network. Along the way, students will improve their writing skills, burnish their capabilities with photography, polish their presentation styles, and reinforce their capacities to confidently conduct independent, field-based research by carrying significant research projects to the finish line.