The second lecture in Doug Allen's History of Urban Form series moves from "what is a city" to "where did cities come from?" It concludes Lecture 01 and the fundamental elements of cities — Density & Form. Lecture 02 begins by exploring the ancient origins of cities as hubs of domestication, agricultural settlements, and trade. It compares commonalities and differences between several ancient Near East proto-cities, including Jericho, Catal Huyuk, Ur, Uruk, Assur, Bam, and El Amarna.

This first episode in the course, beginning with a simple question and a complex answer: "What is a city?"