Paris is one of the great walking cities of the world. It also might be the most important city in the world for thinking and writing about walking. For centuries, Parisians have known that walking isn't something that just happens - it is shaped by the design of the city, by technology, culture and ideas. Why do we walk? How do we walk? Who has the right to walk? And how has walking changed over time? In this course, we'll blend literature and Urban Studies approaches to the city. We'll read poetry, short stories, memoirs, essays, and history, watch films and listen to songs; and we'll also go out into the streets and learn to "read" the city and our own experiences as pedestrians on its boulevards, quais, parks, and arcades. All required readings in English, with some optional French texts.
3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP) · GER: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
Paris is one of the great walking cities of the world. It also might be the most important city in the world for thinking and writing about walking. For centuries, Parisians have known that walking isn't something that just happens - it is shaped by the design of the city, by technology, culture and ideas. Why do we walk? How do we walk? Who has the right to walk? And how has walking changed over time? In this course, we'll blend literature and Urban Studies approaches to the city. We'll read poetry, short stories, memoirs, essays, and history, watch films and listen to songs; and we'll also go out into the streets and learn to "read" the city and our own experiences as pedestrians on its boulevards, quais, parks, and arcades. All required readings in English, with some optional French texts.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.