Starting from the analysis of the founding dynamics of implementation of the contemporary metropolis, the course focuses on some contributions to the discipline that have been shaped by key figures of modern urban design, analyzing their outcomes either in terms of theory and practice.

On a parallel path, some urban projects developed around the world will be considered as topics for analysis and discussion, stressing their ability to enrich the urban experience and to re-establish a sense of place.

Some of the topics on the agenda of contemporary urban design will be placed as a field of investigation and discussion; among them: the declination of a complex and multifaceted concept of urban sustainability, the reflection on livability issues, the efforts aimed to establish a new sense of community, the search for a balance between density and urbanity.

Special attention is therefore paid to synergies with other disciplines involved in the definition of metropolitan patterns and their implications in terms of design practice.

The final evaluation is based both on a multiple-choice test and on an oral discussion.