This course focuses on cities as centers of cultural, social, and artistic activity.  We will consider how we define cities, the forces that create and sustain them, and what makes them culturally distinctive.  The class will look at several cities at moments of cultural, political, and architectural glory, including Istanbul, London, Paris, New York, and Shanghai.  We will study these cities as social phenomena, physical spaces, architectural conglomerations, and centers of artistic production.