This course examines an array of contemporary approaches to building the economic, physical, and social dimensions of cities structured around creativity, culture, and the arts. Historical underpinnings, trajectories, and problems of these approaches are explored through lectures, readings, student research, and discussions. Creative cities, the creative class, creative placemaking, and the like as "new" ways to further urban development have gained popularity yet remain problematic and raise important issues in how cities develop and how different people in those cities experience these approaches.

This course examines an array of contemporary approaches to building the economic, physical, and social dimensions of cities structured around creativity, culture, and the arts. Historical underpinnings, trajectories, and problems of these approaches are explored through lectures, readings, student research, and discussions. Creative cities, the creative class, creative placemaking, and the like as "new" ways to further urban development have gained popularity yet remain problematic and raise important issues in how cities develop and how different people in those cities experience these approaches.