Sustainable Urban Development: Discover Advanced Metropolitan Solutions

Did you know that cities take up less than 3% of the earth'/'s land surface, but more than 50% of the world's population live in them? And, cities generate more than 70% of the global emissions? Large cities and their hinterlands (jointly called metropolitan regions) greatly contribute to global urbanization and sustainability challenges, yet are also key to resolving these same challenges.
There are no simple solutions to these grand challenges! Rather the challenges cities face today require a holistic, systemic and transdisciplinary approach that spans different fields of expertise and disciplines such as urban planning, urban design, urban engineering, systems analysis, policy making, social sciences and entrepreneurship. This course is all about the integration of different fields of knowledge within the metropolitan context. The course is set up in a unique matrix format that lets you pursue your line of interest along a specific metropolitan challenge or a specific theme.
This course forms a part of the educational programme of the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and is developed by Wageningen UR and TU Delft, two of the founding universities of AMS Institute.
More course information and instructions on how to register can be found on: https://www.wur.nl/Virtual-Exchange.htm or click on the top-right link on this page.

• Understand the most relevant challenges that metropolitan regions are facing

• Understand how you can respond to these challenges

• Give examples of sustainable, metropolitan interventions and solutions

• Understand how to critically reflect on and engage in the sustainable cities debate

• Come up with innovative solutions for your own urban living environment

• Assignment essay (100%) Individual essay that delves into at least one of the core themes of the course. The essay should contain an individual learning aim, an introduction that adequately frames the essay, and should synthesize the used additional literature in a reflexive and coherent manner. At least three academic papers dealing with the theme, should be used in the essay.
• General remark assessment strategy (%) The essay can be submitted and will be evaluated twice a year, in resit A (February) and resit C1 (July).

• All materials are made available online.