So much of our lives today takes place in the virtual world of the internet that it is easy to forget or ignore the ways in which our physical environment affects our behavior and our self-understanding. This class will explore different theories of place and why it matters for politics. This will include an examination of how architecture and design can create or destroy community, the consequences of residential segregation, the importance of public space and monuments, the relationship between place and civic virtue and the meaningfulness of boundaries.