Sustainable Urban Systems

Intensive course with overseas travel (15-28 Nov 2025). Students must submit EOI. Additional fees will apply. Sustainable Urban Systems aims to provide an in-depth understanding of urbanization and sustainable urban systems to students without a systemic previous exposure to the topic. Urbanization is one of the major social transformations of our time that has profound impacts on people and the planet. Cities play an increasingly critical role in local, regional and global sustainability, presenting enormous challenges but also a window of opportunity to “get it right”. The course will explore key topics such as the trend and impacts of global urbanization, the role of cities in sustainability, theoretical and conceptual understanding of cities as systems, analytical tools in measuring sustainability performance of cities, managing urban environment, and urban sustainability experiments and transition towards sustainability. A systems perspective is a common thread throughout the course. The course is strongly interdisciplinary, drawing on both classic and most recent literature in urban geography, urban ecology, urban environmental management, urban sustainability, systems innovation and transition. The course builds on Human Ecology, where the evolutionary history of human-nature relationships as well as a systems approach towards understanding such relationship is explored. This intensive in-country field-based course focuses on Singapore's highly successful urban development and management. Singapore has been identified as the ideal location for this course due to its remarkable achievements in urban planning. The course will cover various areas of interest, including water management, waste management, sustainable energy production, urban farming and food security, bio-conservation, sustainable urban ecosystems and urban mobility. To enhance the learning experience, the course has established partnerships with the National University of Singapore and Singapore National Parks, who will contribute to the in-country learning activities. Throughout the in-country component, students will have the opportunity to observe firsthand how Singapore's urban planning is carefully aligned with the needs of its growing population while maintaining a strong focus on environmental sustainability. This immersive experience will provide valuable insights into the strategies and practices employed to achieve a harmonious balance between urban development and ecological preservation.