Ananya Roy
City and Regional Planning

Environmental Design 100: The City: Theories and Method in Urban Studies. focusing on great cities around the world from Chicago to Los Angeles, from Rio to Shanghai, from Vienna to Cairo it covers of historical and contemporary patterns of urbanization and urbanism. Lecture spring 2006.

Professor Roy begins this 75-minute lecture by describing what she will do and what she would like her students to do. She tells her students that the first half of the lecture will be a theoretical conversation about global cities and globalization followed by a look at alternative perspectives of globalization. She asks students to analyze key maps and images that will be projected, and she hopes that they will “be smart, think hard, critique, and most importantly try to make some of the theoretical ideas your own.” Roy’s approach throughout is to masterfully use straightforward techniques. She frequently stops to ask questions and patiently waits for responses, adds information to what students say, and summarizes main points. Roy regularly connects the current discussion to both previous and upcoming reading and lectures. Visual images of maps, cities scenes, and even famous paintings are projected and connected to the discussion. Professor Roy ends with a look at alternative perspectives by spotlighting global cities and grabbing the attention of her students with relevant anecdotes along the way.