Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change - Track-Specific Modules

Course introduction

The Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change (UESC) master track focuses on some of the most relevant issues and challenges facing cities world-wide: how cities can achieve sustainability from a social, economic and environmental perspective, what are the most innovative initiatives being undertaken to foster smart cities, how to implement effective and efficient climate change adaptation and mitigation actions, and how can cities achieve a higher level of resilience. All these issues are at the forefront of the global political and decision-making agenda. In recent decades, the emergence of the challenges related to climate change has only reinforced the relevance and importance of this field of study. 

Course objectives

At the end of the master track, participants should be able:

• To critically discuss the key concepts, theories, and frameworks behind urban environment, climate change, and sustainability based on state-of-the art review. 
• To systematically compare how NBS, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and ICT-based solutions can contribute to sustainable, smart, and resilient cities after analysing global case study examples. 
• To evaluate the conditions, benefits, challenges, and limitations in planning for sustainable, smart, and resilient cities through the results of interactions with key actors and exposure to projects related to NBS, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and ICT-based solutions.  
• To investigate key methodologies, techniques, and tools used by urban practitioners to plan for NBS, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and ICT-based solutions in order to achieve sustainable, smart, and resilient cities.
• To develop strategies for building sustainable, smart and resilient cities based on analysis of a selected case study and with the application of key methodologies, techniques, and tools. 

Course content

The UESC master track is comprised of the following highly interrelated key focus areas. 

1. Key concepts, theories, and frameworks

• Theoretical approaches to governing global environmental challenges 
• Urban environment 
  • Natural environment: Ecosystems and ecosystem services
  • Built environment: Infrastructure, Energy, Transport, Buildings. Etc. 
• Climate change  
  • Impacts  
  • Risks  
  • Policies (optional)
• Sustainability concepts 
  • Sustainability
  • Smart
  • Resilience 

2. Key actions and solutions 

• Climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • Barriers to implementation of climate change actions (optional)
  • Guiding principles for city climate action planning (optional) 
• Nature-based solutions
• ICT-based solutions 

3. Key methodologies, tools, and techniques  

• Cross-cutting  
  • GIS and ICT, including citizen science and environmental and earth observations
•  Analysis and assessment
  • Ecosystem service mapping and assessment
  • GHG emissions assessment 
  • Energy sector analysis
  • Climate change hazards and risk assessment
    • Governance to reduce urban risk (optional)
    • Key actors in reducing urban risk (optional)
  • Vulnerability assessment
    • Social Vulnerability (optional)
    • Practical examples of calculating social vulnerability (optional)
  • Air quality and heat island assessment
• Planning and implementation
  • Ecosystem based strategies for financing climate action projects
  • Serious gaming with Tygron (scenario planning)
  • Climact prio (optional)
• Monitoring and evaluation
  • Programming, big data, and statistical forecasting 

4. Key actors and projects in the Netherlands, Europe, and globally 

• Rotterdam Resilient Strategy
• Rotterdam Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
• Rotterdam Climate Agreement 
• De Natuurlijke Stad (The Natural City)
• Amsterdam Smart City Programme
• Waag Technology and Society (Citizen Science)
• Hollandse Luchten Project 
• Global Center for Adaptation
• UN Habitat Learning 

Course information