Urban Ecosystems: Structures, Functions and Designs
Course content
Cities may be regarded as semi-closed ecosystems, consisting of a number of subsystems. The course seeks to combine urban design with scientific knowledge on how to optimize these sub-systems, to obtain sustainable resource management and climate adaptation. This is done through lectures, paper readings, study tours and exercises.
Cities are hot spots in terms of resource consumption, waste production and emission of greenhouse gasses. At the same time cities are global centers for economy and culture, and home to more than half of the world’s population. Climate resilience and sustainable resource management depend – among other things - on our ability to design cities. This is true for both developing and developed countries.
The course focuses on the ability of green infrastructures to
contribute to resource management, climate adaptation and
social-cultural performance of urbanized areas. This is sometimes
referred to as ecosystem services. How can knowledge on vegetation,
soil, air, climate and water be used to suggest overall green
structures and specific elements for stormwater management, water
supply, biodiversity support, mitigation of urban heat island, food
production, etc.? The suggested physical changes must at the same
time enhance urban livability, and be doable in terms of
administrative and economic resources. Which theories and methods
can be applied, and what is the role of environmental experts,
landscape architects and urban planners in this context? The main
focus of the course is on the freshwater cycle in urban settings
and there is a special focus on adaptation to more extreme weather
conditions, especially stormwater management and flood control.
The course is inviting students from a number of disciplines to
participate. It is relevant for urban designers and planners as
well as for agronomists, geographers, biologists, etc. The ambition
of the teachers is to make students able to transfer scientific
knowledge into new urban designs at multiple scales, in order to
increase sustainability and climate resilience. As such the course
contains a number of lectures in which relevant knowledge from
environmental chemistry, agronomy, climatology and biology is
presented. The lectures are supported by several exercises and
study tours for a better understanding. By means of innovative
learning methods the theory is transferred to design criteria and
specific design proposals.
MSc Programme in Landscape Architecture
This course provides an understanding of structures, functions
and dynamics of urban ecosystems, and how ecosystem services can be
optimized, re-designed and managed to support sustainable urban
development. The course combines urban planning and landscape
architecture with soil hydrology, environmental chemistry,
agronomy, climatology and biology. The aim is to have students,
teachers and external actors that represent different disciplines
to exchange, apply and evaluate concepts and methods for
sustainable urban development.
Knowledge:
- To be familiar with theory and principles of urban ecosystem
science
- To understand causes and effects of climate change in urban areas
- To be familiar with urban growth and dynamics in Denmark and
globally
- To know quantitative and qualitative components of the urban
water cycle
- To be familiar with major factors controlling biodiversity
in cities
- To understand relations between natural processes (e.g. urban
climates, the water cycle, biodiversity, soils) and urban form and
function
- To gain an overview over case studies of sustainable urban water
management and climate change adaptation, from city to site scale.
Skills:
- To be able to transfer ecosystem concepts and principles to
problem oriented studies.
- To be able to apply knowledge and methods for the analysis and
design of sustainable urban ecosystems.
Competencies:
- To work in multidisciplinary groups and present results and
knowledge to other students and external actors
- To undertake a problem oriented study, suggest design solutions
and make evaluations
- To acquire in-depth knowledge on specific aspects of urban
ecosystems structure and function in an independent manner
- To reflect upon and discuss the value systems that underlie the
structure and functioning of various urban
ecosystems.
The course consists of approx. 15 lectures, approx. 15 in-class exercises, a number of paper sessions, one full day excursion or two half day excursions, an individual written assignment and a group project. Guest lecturers are included ad hoc.
A number of compulsory papers and book chapters constitute the course texts. Further literature will be recommended during the course in connection with specific themes.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Compulsory tasks (participation in paper presentations, completion of compulsory exercises) must be successfully completed.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment, During course
- Type of assessment details
- The mark is based evenly on two written assignments: 1. an individual assignment (50 %) and 2. individual reflections on a group assignment (50 %). The individual assignment is a short report, handed in halfway through the course, dealing with the subjects presented in the first part of the course. The individual reflections on a group assignment is an 8 hours written assignment conducted in block week 9 (exam week). It is based on the group assigment, which is a 2 min video of an urban ecosystem design.
- Exam registration requirements
-
Compulsory tasks completed
Group assignment ( 2 min video of an urban ecosystem design) must be presented and uploaded to Absalon.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
-
Identical to ordinary exam.
Students who have not met the exam registration reuqirement have to hand in a written report of 6-8 pp. as substition for the group assigment and the 8 hour written assigment.
Criteria for exam assessment
Please see learning outcome.
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 20
- Preparation
- 90
- Exercises
- 56
- Excursions
- 10
- Guidance
- 30
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- LNAK10028U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 1
- Schedulegroup
-
C
- Capacity
- 50
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Geosciences and Management
Contracting department
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Marina Bergen Jensen (3-7c71794f78767d3d7a843d737a)
Teacher
Mark Taylor Randall
Are you BA- or KA-student?
Courseinformation of students