The Emergence of Metropolis: Urban Housing Evolution

This lecture delves into the transformation of European cities around 1850 into metropolises, exploring the rapid growth of mass housing coinciding with the birth of modern cities. The instructor discusses the demographic explosions in cities like Berlin and Paris, highlighting the emergence of the housing problem due to in-sanitary conditions. The lecture covers the influential reports by Chadwick and Willermet, the role of leading political forces, and the impact of the European revolution of 1848. It also examines the evolution of housing design, from the Victorian country house to the concept of self-contained dwellings and the ideal of cottage housing. The discussion extends to the challenges faced in providing affordable housing, the shift towards tenement blocks, and the influence of social attitudes on housing reform.