Description
The global challenge of sustainable development requires solutions and mindset that bridge traditional divisions between nature and culture, and the technical and social sciences. Sustainable development requires that engineers and other professionals are able to include social and ecological considerations alongside technical and economic requirements in managing projects and infrastructure. This course outlines the challenges of sustainability, introduces some theories which can help think through these challenges more clearly, and applies them to city and infrastructure systems.
As each topic, such as ecological modernisation, and sustainable consumption, is introduced, you will learn about the theories behind the topic, you will discuss relevant papers that shed light on the topic, and you will discover the practical examples of relevance of the topic. As well as lectures you will have facilitated seminars that will develop your ability to read research papers critically, present key ideas and provide constructive feedback to your peers. You will learn how to write a critical review and develop your essay writing and referencing skills. There are no pre-requisites except an ability to embrace ideas from multiple disciplines.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the concept of sustainable development as a response to global crises of ecology and human development
- Describe the role of engineering systems in achieving sustainable development
- Outline key features of socio-technical systems and their relevance to the challenge of sustainable development
- Apply theories of socio-technical systems in analysing the sustainability of urban infrastructure
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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