本課程介紹世界都會歷史與都市更新理論之文化脈絡與現代發展，並探討影響現今世界都會發展的幾個主要都會的歷史軌跡與社會特質。本課程比較歐、亞、美三洲之新興城市在世界現代史進程中所扮演的角色，內容含括主要城市體例，如巴黎、倫敦、柏林、紐約、芝加哥、北京與台北等，試圖透過對都會史的解析，為學生建立一套完整之世界都會發展史知識。自十八至二十世紀，世界各主要都市之都會化發展，在人口、經濟、政治、社會各方面有顯著的差異。本課程將就其於不同時期世界史中所扮演的角色，探討其發展特色與變革：君權時期的新古典形式公眾建築、工業化階段的城鄉流動、改革時期的都市全面改建、烏托邦式的都市計畫與現代主義思維、資本主義商業發展導向等。經由對世界現代大都會文化、傳統與文明結構的深入觀察，本課程將在都會與文化發展的軌跡中，探討現代都會歷史與理論的多面向發展。
This course introduces the cultural context and modern development of world metropolises and urban renewal theories. The course compares the roles major cities play in modern world history across three continents, namely Europe, Asia, and the Americas, which includes Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Chicago, Beijing and Taipei and others. It attempts to build up a thorough foundation knowledge of world urban history. From 18th to 20th century, the urbanization process of world major cities took different paths and vary considerably in terms of demographical, economic, political, and social aspects. This course will explore their characteristics and changes in different period of world history; be it the neo-classical public buildings of monarchical era, population transformation between urban and countryside communities during the industrialization, utopian urban planning and modernist concepts, or capitalist financial development. Through observations and deeper inquiries of world urban culture, tradition, and the structure of the civilization, the course will delve into modern urban history and theories along the trajectories of urban and cultural developments.