Tokyo + Seoul: City, Streets and Hybrid Urbanism
2008 Exploration Seminar in Japan & South Korea

**THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS**

Program Director: Jeff Hou, Landscape Architecture
Dates of Instruction: August 25 - September 14, 2008
Course website and information meetings: http://courses.washington.edu/asiacity

Dense, compact, hybrid and dynamic are words often used in characterizing the urban landscapes of Asian cities. The fluid matrix of social life, urban spaces, and mass transportation along with proximity of activities and services clearly distinguishes the landscapes of major Asian cities from their North American counterparts. The dynamism of Asian cities is best experienced in their streetscapes where one can observe the complex juxtaposition of social and economic activities and the rich overlays of large and small, formal and informal, public and private, in a constant state of flux.

This traveling seminar (http://courses.washington.edu/asiacity/) will use the streetscapes of Tokyo and Seoul as the medium for understanding the complex urbanism in the two major Asian cities. Specifically, we will investigate how the streetscapes in Tokyo and Seoul support the everyday life of their millions of residents and workers; how they reflect their respective urban culture; and how they act as a connective tissue in the complex urban systems. We will experience the city from the street level and taste its flavor from the street vendors. The field experience will enable us to critique the paradigm of urban planning and design under the recent Western traditions.

This course will use “mapping” as a primary tool of investigation in the field. Daily activities include walking tours, guest presentations, on-site exercises, and independent projects. The program will spend first 10 days in Seoul and then 11 days in Tokyo. Participants will earn 5 credits of L ARCH 495 Landscape Architecture Studies Abroad (VLPA), or CHID 471 Asia Study Abroad (I&S). Credits for other courses can also be arranged. Participants should check with their advisors to determine how these credits can count towards their individual departmental requirements.

The course is open to all students. For preparation, students are encouraged to take L ARCH 498D Asian Cities seminar, offered in Spring 2008 and cross-listed with the Departments of Architecture and Urban Design and Planning.

Student costs:  
$2,575 Program Fee
$200 IPE Fee
Additional costs include: round trip travel to Seoul and Tokyo, health insurance, meals, course materials and personal expenses.

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