New York City exists as both a physical and a mental place—a dense concrete maze and a blowsy personality. In this course, we examine the contours of this phenomenon by looking at the city across time. We explore historical moments, investigating the intertwining forces of politics, economics, social struggles, and artistic and cultural production and the role those forces play in planning for the city's future. We examine the making, planning, and governing of New York and the way the city is constructed through its representation in art, film, literature, and dance. We look at familiar figures, places, and phenomena in relation to their often lesser-known antecedents: What of Seneca Village remains in Central Park? What would Boss Tweed tell Michael Bloomberg about governing? Should Coney Island be preserved? Drawing on the vast array of Internet resources on New York City, the class learns what it is that makes New York a "beautiful catastrophe," as Le Corbusier called it.