The course studies the physical environment of Pittsburgh; the topography, early settlement, the expansion of its industrial center, the post-war renewal, and the current shift from production to a service-based economy. A parallel study in the architectural history of Pittsburgh focuses on images of individual buildings from fort Pitt to the new skyscrapers. Student papers either expand research in building categories (industrial, domestic, etc.) Or integrate the physical development of the region with its political and social history.
