This seminar explores the relation between space, power, and politics in the urban environment from the Enlightenment period to the present. In contrast to some Marxist approaches that see architecture primarily as an ideological reflection of dominant economic forces, this seminar investigates how power is actually produced and embodied in the physical environment. In other words, space and architecture are seen as active participants in the structuring of our daily lives and relations, not merely as passive reflections of political and economic institutions. Two theorists are critical to this exploration: the philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre and the philosopher/historian Michel Foucault. The writings of more recent theorists (such as Marshall Berman, Michel de Certeau, Teresa Caldeira, Mike Davis, Guy Debord, Andreas Huyssen, Rem Koolhaas, Elizabeth Wilson, and Douglas Spencer) are also examined with regard to issues concerning the politics of space. Limited enrollment.