Course Syllabus

Semester & Location:	Spring 2021 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Sustainability, Urban Design, Urban Studies
Prerequisite:	None
Faculty Member:	Silvia Andreea Dragomir - silvia.dragomir@dis.dk
Program Director:	Neringa B. Vendelbo - nb@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Fridays 10:05-13:00 | N7-B21

Please note that cycling skills are required for this course. Syllabus is subject to change throughout the semester.

Course Description

Cities in Europe are global front runners for climate initiatives to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to current/future climatic changes. This course focuses on some of the opportunities and challenges associated with the integration of climate change concerns into the heart of urban planning. The journey takes us on urban exploration while analyzing the synergies, conflicts, and trade-offs between mitigation and adaptation, understanding how planners address the complexities of planning for many uncertain conditions, and the ways in which climate change has become a driver for resilient urban development.

Learning Objectives

• understand the cities' role as a driver for resilient urban development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• be able to analyze strategies within urban development in relation to their immediate as well as more long-term consequences.
• be able to critically analyze and evaluate solutions and proposals that relate to the spatial development of cities and regions, especially with regard to sustainability and climate.
• be able to reflect upon urban developmental situations that are complex, unpredictable and in need of new schemes for solutions whilst planning in a changing climate.
• help you gain skills which will help you become part of the solution in your community

Faculty

Silvia Andreea Dragomir

Architect and urban planner, with an MSc in Sustainable Urban Planning from Aalborg University DK and MSc in Architecture from Bucharest RO and Bordeaux FR. Former collaborations include the Ministry of Transportation in Romania, European funded projects, Low Carbon Regions - a Masterplan for Southern Denmark, co-founder of KlimaLab - a climate innovation platform, City of Toulouse - Climate neighborhood, and private projects in Denmark, Romania, UK and USA. Silvia's professional focus is on sustainability, climate action and healthy cities. Her passion is sharing her knowledge while learning from others and raising awareness for creating better living environments. With DIS since 2015. 

Approach to Teaching

The class will meet once a week during the semester.  Assigned readings, urban explorations and student presentations will act as background for class discussion. This course relies heavily on reading in order to gain a deeper understanding of varying case studies we will discuss. Assigned texts must be read before class. Copenhagen will also serve as a living laboratory to illustrate the forces behind climate planning in a European context, where relevant. Moreover, group work is essential following real life working scenarios.

Readings

There is a textbook for this course: A changemaker's guide to the future (the book to be picked in the beginning of the semester from the DIS library) and  complementary article readings, which are found exclusively on Canvas.

The reading for each class is attached/indicated under Modules, as follows:

Hunt, A., & Watkiss, P. (2011). Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: a review of the literature. Climatic Change, 104(1), 13-49.

City of Copenhagen (2011). Copenhagen Climate Adaptation Plan

Blanco G., et al.,( 2014): Drivers, Trends and Mitigation. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

McEvoy, D. et al. (2006) Adaptation and mitigation in urban areas: synergies and conflicts. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Municipal Engineer 159 (Pages 185–191)

Vuuren, D.P. et al. (2010). The use of scenarios as the basis for combined assessment of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Global Environmental Change 21 (2011) 575–591

Flyvbjerg, B. (2012). Bringing Power to Planning Research: One Researcher’s Praxis Story. In Fainstein, S. and Campbell, S. (eds.). Readings in Planning Theory (pp. 241-267). Oxford: Wiley and Sons

Hersh, B. (2012) The Complexity of Urban Waterfront Redevelopment. New York (Pages 23-37)

Labadie, J. (2011). Emergency Managers Confront Climate Change. Sustainability

 

Study tour

A 3 days study tour is an integral part of the course as we take the classroom on the road and see how theories presented in the class translate to practice in the field. You will travel with your classmates and DIS faculty/staff on a study tour to Bordeaux.

Study Tour: Wednesday, November 24 – Friday, November 26, 2021

Expectations of the Students

This course is not a traditional lecture class, but relies heavily on class discussion, informed by an in-depth, critical reading of the assigned texts. The readings for each class have purposely been kept to reasonable amount and it is expected that all students have read, seen, or played the material prior to the lectures.

In class:

I expect you to fully engage in the lectures, participate actively in discussions, and be open minded about your fellow students' points of view. Your overall grade will be depending on an engaged, informed, and highly active participation in class discussion.

During study tour:

• Participate in all activities
• Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
• Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
• Represent yourself, your home university, and DIS in a positive light

 While on a program study tour, DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day, and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

COVID-19

We all have a collective responsibility to avoid the spread of COVID-19 at DIS.  Currently, we expect to conduct all teaching remotely through the end of February, and to begin in-person teaching on Monday, March 1.  Once in-person teaching begins, please monitor yourself carefully for symptoms of COVID-19 (dry cough, high temperature, breathing difficulties, sore throat, headache, muscle pain).  If you experience any of these symptoms, please stay at home and inform your instructor that you won’t be in class or at a field study – this will count as an excused absence.  Do keep up with your coursework and join activities via distance learning, if you are able to (Silvia will be happy to help with this).  If you are too sick to do work, please reach out to the DIS Care team at care@dis.dk for medical support and then coordinate with Silvia on how you can make up missed class time. 

Evaluation

Class participation

Participation will be evaluated by the extent to which students attend classes, actively engage in class discussions, contribute to workshops, and critically reflect on the assigned readings. You are expected to bring your reading notes as well as questions to class. The reading required is the one going beyond finding information, or identifying main ideas. It will ask you to dig deep to identify meaning, relationships between ideas, and to challenge yourself finding your own response to these ideas, and its impact to the world around. Such response involves analysis, synthesis and creativity. You are encouraged to bring your own experiences into the discussions.

Creative journal - climate solutions

This is your collection of class reflections, representing the connection between readings, discussions and our visits in the city. A minimum of a creative, crafted page per class (collage, drawing, mind map, manifesto, recipe book, letter ...), each of structured observations and critical reflections on what you experienced, learned, and thought about during and after the mobile lectures. This journal is meant to hone both your observational and critical reflection skills, as well as to practice concise writing techniques and develop your creative skills.

This creative journal forms the foundation for the final project.

Deadline for the weekly journal page is after class, by the end of the day.

Carbon neutral neighborhood. A proposal.

This is a group exercise consisting of:

1. Summarizing and connecting our field visits, discussions and readings, and answering the question: What is a carbon neutral neighborhood and how to achieve one?
2. Analyze the Bordeaux site and design a proposal for an inclusive, connected and sustainable carbon neutral neighborhood.
3. Producing a model (film / recipe book) containing your proposal for a carbon neutral neighborhood.

Deadline: November 26, 2021.

Cities as solution

The assignment is a group exercise consisting of:

1. Answer to the question: How can cities build a resilient future?
2. Producing a model containing the most relevant conclusions (website, poster, collage, film, manifesto, recipe book, ...)
3. Presenting your model to the class
   

Deadline: December 10, 2021.

All assignments must be handed in on the due date electronically through Canvas, unless otherwise mentioned. Late hand-in and lack of references are not accepted. To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Class participation	20%
Creative journal	30%
Carbon neutral neighborhood	20%
Cities as solutions	30%

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

Electronic Devices in the Classroom

Use of laptops is allowed for the purpose of note-taking ONLY and requires prior consultation. Students should refrain from all other computer activities, as they prove distracting to themselves and fellow students. Mobile phones and other electronic communication devices should of course be turned off and stored away. Using the laptop for other purposes than note-taking will have a negative impact on your grade.

 

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