Sustainable Cities and Communities

Course Title

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Course Description of Student-Led Course

Translating Global Sustainability into Campus Action

This course is designed as a collaborative, multi-disciplinary laboratory dedicated to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, focusing on the tangible intersection between global environmental strategies and localized, community-driven spatial interventions. The curriculum is structured into three main thematic blocks that guide students from macro-level theory to micro-level physical implementation:

Foundations of Circularity & Resilient Systems (Lectures 1–5): The course opens by exploring global frameworks of circular economy, life-cycle assessment of bio-materials, and smart recycling systems. We will deconstruct what makes an urban ecosystem resilient, shifting the scale from regional infrastructure down to tactical architectural components.

Community Diagnosis & Participatory Mapping (Guest Lectures & Workshop): Bridging theory and practice, students will engage with industry experts and academic guest lecturers. This culminates in a hands-on participatory design workshop where the target campus itself becomes a "Living Lab." Students will co-create a comprehensive "Problem Map," audit the campus's current ecological footprint, and identify specific spatial, social, and environmental vulnerabilities that require immediate intervention.

The Tactical Project Module & Co-Design (8 x 2-hour Studio Sessions): The core of the course is a project-based design module. Working in multidisciplinary teams, students will select a critical node from the "Problem Map" to develop a concrete spatial intervention. The projects will focus on transforming the campus into a "Green Campus" hub, implementing cutting-edge sustainable technologies such as: Bioreceptive and carbon-neutral building elements; Vertical greening systems and micro-climate enhancers; Circular waste and resource management prototypes within the university ecosystem.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, students will have transitioned from theoretical understanding to actionable, community-driven spatial design. Their learning outcomes are structured as follows:

What students will KNOW:
Circular & Bio-Based Principles: Students will understand the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable materials, the integration of bioreceptive and circular technologies in urban environments, and the mechanics of resilient urban ecosystems.
Participatory Frameworks: Students will know how to conduct spatial and social audits of a built environment using citizen-science and community-mapping methodologies.
The NEB Philosophy: Students will deeply comprehend how sustainability must intersect with aesthetics and social inclusion to create meaningful spaces, rather than viewing green technology as a purely technical requirement.

What students will be able to DO:
Diagnose & Map Urban Vulnerabilities: Students will be able to analyze a physical campus layout, identify environmental and social "hotspots" (e.g., poor microclimates, waste mismanagement, underutilized or noninclusive social spaces), and translate these into a visual, data-driven "Problem Map."
Co-Design Sustainable Prototypes: Students will be able to work in transdisciplinary teams to develop a concrete, localized project proposal—integrating green technologies (such as micro-climate enhancing vertical greening or circular waste solutions) into existing architectural contexts.
Pitch & Defend Actionable Solutions: Students will be able to professionally present and defend their technical and spatial designs before a committee, proving the financial, ecological, and social viability of their proposals.
Alignment with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Compass & UN SDGs

The learning outcomes are explicitly aligned with the core pillars of both frameworks:
1. New European Bauhaus Compass Alignment
The course directly intersects the Three Core Values and Three Working Principles of the NEB Compass:
Value - Sustainability & Inclusion: Students don't just design "green" patches; they learn to create inclusive
spaces. By identifying spatial and social barriers during the workshop phase, they ensure that the technical green interventions (like outdoor study hubs or vertical green walls) also foster biodiversity and community well-being.
Working Principle - Participatory Process & Transdisciplinarity: The entire methodology of creating a "Problem Map" and entering a collaborative studio module forces students from different academic backgrounds to cocreate.
They learn to navigate a bottom-up, democratic design process where the campus community’s needs dictate the architectural outcome.
2. UN Sustainable Development Goals Alignment
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (Target 11.7 & 11.b): The module directly trains students to enhance the sustainability of human settlements, starting with their immediate campus ecosystem. By the end of the course, students actively contribute to making their university infrastructure more resilient, resource-efficient, inclusive, and green, providing a scalable model for broader urban neighborhoods.

Prerequisites for the Course 

No

Registration Info and Deadline

Students at UACEG can apply in September

At a Glance

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