Course description
This course examines the quality of urban life in a global perspective. We begin by discussing the various meanings of “quality of life” and how they apply to the places where you live. Then we begin a consideration of urban quality of life along several different dimensions as outlined in the syllabus. Many of the assigned readings are about Italy, Venice in particular, and the United States. In order to help us arrive at a truly global perspective, you will each pick a city to study in order to enrich your own and the class’s understanding of how other cities throughout the world deal with and/or fail to deal with sustaining a high quality of life. You will choose your city by the end of the first week and then you will prepare yourself to discuss how that city compares to other world cities regarding the different topics we will discuss each week. Thus, in addition to doing the assigned readings, which are short, you will do research in your own language in order to enrich class discussion by providing key points of comparison. The choice of city is up to you but I ask that you pick a city that is easy for you to learn about in your own language

Requirements
1.Reading for the week must be completed before the Tuesday class. All the required readings are either accessible on line or will be sent to you via email.
2. A paper that incorporates you research – 30 percent of grade
3. There will be a midterm exam and a final. The midterm will take place on Thursday of Week 4. The final will take place during exam week.
Midterm 20 percent of grade
Final 25 percent of grade
4. Since this is a discussion course, class participation is required. 25 percent of grade

Syllabus
Week One - How Would You Characterize Your City? What Does The Term “Urban Quality Of Life” Mean To You.
Readings: “City Life and Citizenship,”

Week Two - Demographics of a City – Who Lives There? Issues of Density, Homogeneity Heterogeneity Ethnicity, Population Trends
Readings: Demographics in Venice: Demographics and population factsheet
Cities in the World Link
Trading Places Link

Week Three - Ecology of a City – Environmental Challenges – Issues of Crowding, Congestion, Climate, Air Quality, Water Quality, Parks
Readings: “Frederick Law Olmsted: Democratic Environmentalist”
World's Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index, Link
Top Ten Parks in the Worlds: Link
7 Innovative Projects Making Cities More Sustainable: Link

Week Four City Politics - Local Government and the Intergovernmental Context
Readings: Italy’s Local Government: Link
What’s Next for Italy’s Government
Link
Italy’s succession dilemma: It only wants Mario Draghi Link 

Week Five The Spatial Makeup of a City - Center V. Periphery, Neighborhoods, Zoning
Readings: How Much Can Cities Do About Walkability?,
Link
What is New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Development?
Link
Why New Urbanism Fails
Link
The Urban Revival is a Myth and Surburbs are Surging
Link

Week Six – Infrastructure - Roads, Bridges, Flood Control, Tunnels, Energy Production and Distribution, Public Transportation
Readings: Elements of Success: Urban Transportation Systems of 24 Global Cities, pages 19-46
Link
Mose Website, Link 2

Week Seven –Preserving a Cities Culture – Key Cultural Institutions and Their Preservation
Readings: Venice Against the Sea 145-153
Venice in Peril Film, Link UNESCO Readings, Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Week Eight – Economics of a City – Issues of Growth and Sustainability
Readings: Urban World: Mapping the Economic Power of Cities
Link
Colleges and Universities and Economic Development: A Strategic Perspective
Link

Week Nine - Inequality – Its Sources and Implications
Readings: Governing Magazine Series on Gentrification(read all the articles in the series)
Link

Week Ten- Covid and the Future of Downtown
Readings: Italy’s Response to the Coronavirus
Link, What is the Future of Downtown?

Week Eleven– Crime, Policing, Courts
Readings: “Broken Windows”
Link
Sue Rahr and Stephen K. Rice “From Warriors to Guardians: Recommitting American Police Culture to Democratic Ideals” Link,
“Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer”
Link

Week Twelve - Quality Of Life Revisited What Makes A Good City – An Interview with each student to discuss what he or she has learned with respect to urban quality of life. The final class will be a group discussion in which the insights from the interviews will be shared

Bibliography
BLACK, WILLIAM, (2010), Sustainable Transportation: Problems and Solutions
EHRENHALT, ALAN, (2013), The Great Inversion
FORMAN, RICHARD T.,(2014), Urban Ecology: Science of Cities
GLAESER, EDWARD AND CUTLER, DAVID, (2021), Survival of the City, Penguin Press
HAAS, TIGRAN, (2008), New Urbanism and Beyond: Designing Cities for the Future
JACOBS, JANE, (1992), Death and Life of Great American Cities
POLÈSE, M. & R. STREN, (Eds.) (2000), The Social Sustainability of Cities: Diversity and the Management of Change, Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press.
SAVITCH N. & P. KANTOR., (2003), Urban Strategies for a Global Era: A Cross-National Comparison.
SASSEN, S., (2006), Cities in a World Economy
STREN, RICHARD, (2010), The Governance of Toronto, University of Toronto: Cities Centre.
WILLS, GARRY, (2002) Venice: Lion City