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.
What you will learn
- The most relevant challenges that metropolitan regions are facing
- How you can respond to these challenges
- Examples of sustainable, metropolitan interventions and solutions
- How to critically reflect on and engage in the sustainable cities debate
- Innovative solutions for your own urban living environment
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 MOOC is all about this 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.
Because we are all part of the challenges as well as the solutions, we encourage you to participate actively! You will have the opportunity to explore the living conditions in your own city and compare your living environment with that of the global community.
You will discover possible solutions for your city’s challenges and what it takes to implement these solutions. Your participation will also contribute to wider research into metropolitan regions as complex systems.
We invite you to make the first steps in understanding the principles that will be essential to transform metropolitan regions into just, prosperous and sustainable places to live in!
Course information
- Duration: 7 weeks
- Estimated effort: 4-6 hours/ week
- Prerequisites: None
- Language: English (videos, transcripts, content)
- Course level: Introductory