Fall 2017 Course Syllabus (PDF)

Teaching Team

Deland Chan
deland at stanford dot edu

Kincho Law
law at stanford dot edu

Classroom Location & Time

Wednesday 4:30-6PM
Shriram 104

Course Description

In a rapidly urbanizing world, the city paves the way toward sustainability and social well-being. But what does it mean for a city to be smart? Does that also make it sustainable or resilient or livable? This seminar delves into current debates about urbanism through weekly talks by experts on topics such as big data, human-centered design, urban sustainability, and natural capital. The goal of the seminar is to explore how advances in information communication technologies affect the built environment at various scales (e.g., cities, districts, neighborhoods, blocks, buildings and to understand the role of multiple actors working at the intersection of technology and urbanism. The seminar will provoke vigorous discussion of how urban spaces are shaped, for better or worse, by the complex interaction of technology, human societies, and the natural environment. Students taking the course for 2 units / letter grade will propose an independent research project and present their work at a final symposium.​

Recommended Reading

  • Chan, D. (2016). Defining Smart Cities Seminar: A Guiding Framework.
  • Goldsmith, S., & Crawford, S. (2014). The Responsive City: Engaging Communities Through Data-Smart Governance. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Mele, N. (2013). The end of big: How the internet makes David the new Goliath. Macmillan.
  • Picon, A. (2015). Smart Cities: A Spatialised Intelligence. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Schwab, K. (2017). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Crown Publishing Group.
  • Townsend, A. M. (2013). Smart cities: Big data, civic hackers, and the quest for a new utopia. WW Norton & Company. 

Grading & Course Requirements

To receive 1-unit / Credit:

​1. Attend all class sessions.
2. Actively engage in class discussions.
3. Submit a written assignment: During the quarter, you are responsible for writing one 500-750 word reflection that responds to the guest speaker’s presentation of a week of your choosing. You must include an analysis of the topic (not simply summarizing the talk), including questions you may have or future areas of research that you would like to be involved with. CEE225 students should seek out 1-2 additional readings to cite in the written reflection. Deadline: December 11.
​
Make-up assignments: If you miss a class, you should watch the recorded lecture and submit a 500-word reflection for each session that you have missed. 
To receive 2 units / Letter Grade:

​1. Complete course requirements for 1-unit listed above; AND
2. Design and complete an independent research project throughout the quarter, such as providing a detailed case study of a smart city; conducting informational interviews with a smart city practitioner or researcher; or producing a literature review exploring aspects of the smart city.
3. Prepare a midterm paper describing your research topic and proposal. Deadline: October 18.
4. Write a 2,500 word paper about your topic (8-10 pages, double-spaced). For CEE225 students: 4,000 word paper (15 pages, double-spaced). Deadline: December 11.​
5. Give a brief presentation about your research project to the class. Deadline: December 6.