New Technologies and Ideas for Sustainable City Development (BYG655)
Disrupting new ideas often precedes disruptive new-engineered technologies or the two interact. The course aims at discussing such technologies and ideas and the many relationships between them, assuming that they will have a great impact on cities in the near and more distant future. If applied properly they could ensure a more sustainable development of cities. The course aims at studying some selected such technologies and ideas and to train our ability to detect them in advance and to apply them.
Course description for study year 2024-2025. Please note that changes may occur.
Course code
BYG655
Version
1
Credits (ECTS)
10
Semester tution start
Autumn
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Autumn
Language of instruction
English
Content
The full day workshop based course is relevant to students interested in the disruptive technologies and ideas shaping our future. The five workshops will contain lectures, discussions and project work related to five connected main themes. A workshop 6 will contain a full day of student presentations of their final written delivery work. A mid term discussion on the work will take place during the last half of workshop 3.
Workshop 1 FORECASTING
Long term planning requires a deep understanding of how cities develop. Everything we do involves forecasting. Is it possible to forecast more precisely the changes ahead? If so, is forecasting the only tool available or can backcasting (setting out ambitious goals and then carry them through) also work?
Workshop 2 ETHICS
In order to develop truly sustainable cities we need to look at more than just technological improvements and greenery. How people meet in cities, how safe a city is also defines the quality of living. So does the level of corruption and other ethical challenges. A philosophical approach to the issue can help us clarify our thoughts.
Workshop 3 CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS RISKS
The world is - in spite of many doomsday forecasts - a better place for the majority of people than 100 years ago. But what are the consequences of climate change? Are we acting too late and forced to focus on mitigation and adaptation, or can we still avoid dramatic climate change? Mid-term review and discussion of the on-going student work.
Workshop 4 THE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BATTERY REVOLUTIONS
We study the latest projects of energy autonomous, zero carbon communities; both planned and built ones and their dependence on renewable energy. The immense possibilities offered by the price fall and technology improvements of renewable energy in combination with the battery revolution has led to a range of projects worth looking at; solar villages, solar planes, boats and buildings combining solar with other renewable technologies like wind power and heat pumps. But we also look at poor examples.
Workshop 5 NOTOPIA
The world has over time been blessed or cursed with visionary ideas normally referred to as Utopias. They offer hope and engagement that make us stretch our ability to see new possibilities. But sometimes they end up as extreme cases of centralised dictatorial straight jackets that rather than ending up as well working solutions, signals failure. We look at examples of both and focus on one particularly huge global challenge, like housing the poor and others with financial restraints to adhere to.
Workshop 6 FINAL PRESENTATION AND HAND IN
Students present their final delivery work. The final presentation does not count in the marking process.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Having completed this course the students should be able to:
- Understand and evaluate the prospects of different disruptive technologies.
- Reflect critically to new technologies and new ideas.
- Understand how new ideas and technologies interact with each other.
- Reflect critically to forecasting but understand the possibilities it offers.
Skills
Having completed this course the students should be able to:
- Master techniques to address analytical questions about future technologies.
- Demonstrate advanced understanding of the impact of new technologies and ideas, how they fundamentally shift our use and perception of future possibilities.
- Offer an expanded capacity to understand emerging technologies and ideas.
- Participate in discussions in future classes and society at large.
General competence:
Having completed this course the students should be able to:
- Explore new technologies and ideas with a critical distance.
- Based on research presented and case studies discussed, formulate own ideas.
- Communicate their ideas, calculations and thoughts through the format of workshop-discussions, demanding oral participation from all students.
Required prerequisite knowledge
Exam
| Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester work | 1/1 | Letter grades | All |
Whether the submission should be individual or in a group will be assessed by the course teacher based on the total number of students. The submission(s) are expected to take place approximately during the latter half of November.Continuation opportunities are not offered on the written assignment. Students who do not pass the written assignment can take this part again the next time the subject has regular teaching.