City and Nature: The (Urban) Environment and Society, 1450-1800

In this interdisciplinary course students will explore the relationship between urban development and the natural environment from 1450 to 1800. While focusing on Western Europe, we will challenge the notion that nature exists only outside city limits by highlighting how urban spaces are woven into the natural world, demanding protection, restoration, and creation. Each week, we will investigate the interplay between cities and ecologies—like water, darkness, vegetation, and wildlife—examining how built environments shaped and were shaped by these elements. Through historical case studies of specific environments—such as rivers and lagoons—we will analyze how water systems functioned as sources of destruction, lifelines for hydration, and stages for political pageantry. Ultimately, students will explore how these historical insights inform contemporary environmental practices, deepening their understanding of the relationship between city life and nature. (Counts for HSMT credit.)