300

In all aspects of science and technology, the goal of innovation has been to improve the quality of life. This course covers the evolution of science and technological progress and its perennial impact on social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics. An important objective of the course is a review of the contributions of principal investigators who are responsible for the major breakthroughs that have shaped society; attention is given to the practical and everyday results of these advances.

This interdisciplinary advanced honors course challenges the student to understand the dynamic relationship of spatial organization and constructed environments to politics, economics, cultures, demographics, technology, and societies. Students study the changing forms of three cities over time and analyze how people have recreated urban life through time and across cultures. Students may pursue detailed research in realms such as planning, architecture, urban social and economic relations, political influences on housing and urban development, influence of changing populations, history, and environmental issues.