Join us for a fascinating five-week course that explores the key cultural moments, movements, and individuals who have shaped the urban and artistic landscapes of East Asia. Designed especially for middle school educators in history, art, geography, and cultural studies, this course invites participants to expand their global curriculum with compelling stories and case studies from China, Japan, and Korea.
The online seminar includes:
- Background and primary source readings (1 hour/week)
- Mandatory online forum participation
- 5 Weekly live online discussion with the specialist for that topic
Benefits:
- 1 salary point for Los Angeles Unified School District.
- For all other districts, 3 Continuing Education Units (processing fee applicable)
- Online resources and materials
Schedule:
The seminar live discussions will be held virtually on Thursdays for the following dates (9/4, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9). Reading assignments and pre-recorded lectures for each week will be available in an online forum and are to be completed prior to the discussion sessions (approximately 2 hours of work per week). Access and log-in information will be provided upon acceptance into the course. Please refer to the Seminar Requirements Document for details on assignments and course completion.
Join us for a brief live orientation and conclusion session to connect, reflect, and prepare:
📅 Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 4:00–4:30pm (PST): Orientation
📅 Thursday, October 16, 2025 (TBD) | 4:00–4:30pm (PST): Conclusion & Sharing
Both sessions will be held virtually. Attendance is highly encouraged!
Lecture 1: Epochs and Milestones - 9/4
This session highlights key empire-builders and socio-political figures—such as Emperor Wu, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Mao Zedong—and their roles in shaping urban life and governance in East Asia. We will examine how power, trade, and foreign influences reshaped the form and function of cities across time.
Lecture 2: Religious & Philosophical Currents in City Design - 9/18
From Bodhidharma and Lao Tzu to Junichiro Tanizaki and D.T. Suzuki, this lecture traces the religious and philosophical ideas that guided city and architectural design. We’ll explore how Buddhism, Daoism, and local belief systems shaped cultural aesthetics and created region-specific hybrids across East Asia.
Lecture 3: Reading the Natural World - 9/25
This lecture explores how East Asian societies interpreted and responded to climate, ecology, and sustainability in city planning. From the Tokugawa-era deforestation policies to the symbolism of classical gardens, we’ll examine how nature was woven into the urban experience.
Lecture 4: Shaping the Built World - 10/2
We’ll survey the architectural evolution of major East Asian cities—such as Chang’an, Peking (Beijing), Seoul, Nara, Kyoto, and Edo (Tokyo). This session also explores transitions from monumental structures like the Great Wall and Todaiji Temple to the development of modern cities shaped by global influence.
Lecture 5: Artistic Expressions & Readings of the City - 10/9
Discover how East Asian cities have been depicted in painting, scrolls, and film. This lecture looks at visual representations that offer insight into daily life, social order, and changing urban ideals. Examples include the Qingming Scroll (Kaifeng), ukiyo-e prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige (Edo), and the film The Story of Qiu Ju, which contrasts rural and urban life.
Instructor:
Vinayak Bharne is a practicing urban designer, city planner, professor, and author. As Associate Partner and Director of Urban Design & Planning at Gruen Associates, he leads the city design efforts of one of Los Angeles’s most respected legacy firms. His work ranges from satellite cities, new towns, campus plans, and housing for corporate, private, and institutional clients to urban policies and strategic advising for government and non-government agencies worldwide.
Bharne teaches in USC’s undergraduate and graduate architecture, landscape architecture, and heritage conservation programs. He conducts theory seminars on global architecture and urbanism and coordinates international studios on urban design and planning. A former adjunct faculty member at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, he is now an affiliated faculty member at the university’s East Asian Studies Center, US-China Institute, and Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture.