STRUCTURE OF THE AMS MOOC

URBAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Discover Advanced Metropolitan Solutions

Hi there!
Thank you for joining this MOOC on Sustainable Urban Development! We will support
you to discover Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and we actively invite you to get
involved!
We invite you to join or form a team for the 100 x 100 challenge, where you will work
on solutions for specific metropolitan areas. Although this is not a requirement for the
certificate, it will be an engaging and interesting learning experience. We are looking
forward to finding out what your solutions are to the challenges in your area! Every
week you will work on these challenges.

In the matrix shown below you can see the setup of the MOOC. We will focus each
week on one major challenge for metropolitan areas, the socalled global drivers for
change, here placed in the horizontal axis.
Vertically there are five main themes. These are perspectives, or areas of expertise,
from which each week or each of the challenges will be investigated.

When taking part in this MOOC you will thereby realise that the global challenges that
cities face, when viewed from different themes, result in a number of different
problems. At the same time you will find that each theme-or perspective- is also
offering its own type of solutions.
Finally, we hope you will realise at the end of the MOOC that the problems and
solutions actually span across all these boxes of the MOOC matrix.

EACH WEEK ONE MAJOR CHALLENGE

Now, lets have a closer look at the MOOC matrix, and first define the challenges.

In week 2 we will look at Urban Growth. As you already know, at the moment more
than 50% of the world-population is living in cities. With an estimated 70% living in
cities in 2050.
The questions regarding to this challenge are What are the consequences of
urbanization? How must our cities cope with this extensive growth and at the same
time become sustainable and prosperous?

Week 3 focuses on Socioeconomic Change, or the process of how economic activity

affects and is shaped by society. This is presented as key driving force for change in
our cities.
As the global community becomes more wealthy, new types of challenges emerge, for
instance related to how we manage resources, or how to protect street life and
community building.

Week 4 addresses the challenge of Climate Change. This is currently perceived as one
of the major challenge to human kind. It involves many different effects, like for
instance temperature rise, flood risks, and other weather extremes.
We will first look at the basic process that drive global climate change and then explore
how cities can mitigate and adapt to climate change.

In week 5 we will addresses Resource Shortages. Cities are responsible for about 70%
of the resource consumption, but only occupy 2% of the land surface.
So in this week we will look at opportunities that arise from another approach to
resources, based on reducing, reusing and recycling. The focus will be on the interplay
and relationships between carbon, water and nutrients for food production.

In week 6, the focus is on Digitization & (Geo)data. Digitization concerns the

challenges and opportunities regarding geo data and the Internet of things for both
cities and citizens.
This includes concepts of so-called smart sensing and user feed-back systems. By
connecting it to Geo Information Systems you will discover opportunities on how to use
new ICT technologies to provide cities with real-time feedback, and help empower
citizens.

Climate change is not independent of socio-economic change, and resource

consumption can be managed better by using digitisation tools. So, in the 7th and last
week we will specifically look at the relationships and synergies of these challenges.
The aim is to discover cross-overs between solutions. and how smart integration and
involvement of ALL perspectives will help support innovative and lasting solutions
towards liveable and prosperous metropolitan communities!

WEEKLY THEMES
Now let us look at the themes. As a reminder, they represent different areas of
expertise, or you may say different lenses through which to see the world. Each week
you will find the following themes:

SHAPE & STRUCTURE

The first theme is Shape & Structure. This describes the physical layout of the city. So
in more scientific terms the urban morphologies and typologies.

URBAN SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURES & TRANSPORT

The next theme is Urban Services, Infrastructures & Transport. By urban services we
mean the everyday and often taken for granted services that provide you with water,
food, energy, waste management as well as transportation. These services require a
large amount of resources and often rely on extremely costly infrastructure and
systems.

NATURAL RESOURCES
The third theme concerns Natural Resources. You already know that cities are hubs of
resource consumption. In this theme we place special emphasis on natural resources
in relation to the global challenges.
Note: In week 5 this theme is replaced by a peer review of the practical assignments
from weeks 1 5.

LIVEABILITY & URBAN LIVING

The fourth theme focusses on Liveability & Urban Living. Liveability is considered an
important condition for sustainability. We show that urban living is a cause of many
sustainability problems, as well as a key aspect for a prosperous and sustainable
society.

POLICY & GOVERNANCE

The last thematic challenge concerns Policy & Governance. This theme describes how
governments can act upon the challenges but it also highlights how other actors, such
as municipalities and cities can implement solutions to address each global challenge.

TO SUMMARIZE
You are invited to explore a specific theme in which you have a special interest, thus
following a horizontal route in our matrix.

(Note: to achieve a certificate you need to complete at least three themes).

Or you simply follow the MOOC week by week, along the line of challenges.

In both cases we are sure you will discover innovative and advanced metropolitan
solutions.

COURSE CALENDAR

GRADING
To obtain a certificate for this MOOC you need to pass 60% in total of all the tests and
assignments of this MOOC.
In this MOOC you will encounter a number of different assignments:

SIX WEEKLY TESTS: 60%

You are awarded the average of 4 out of 6 weekly tests. This makes a total of 60% of
your grade. This means 2 (lowest/ not completed) tests are dropped.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS: 20%

You will receive credits for 4 out of 6 practical assignments. The four assignments
make a total of 20% of your grade. This means 2 practical assignments can be
dropped or do not need to be submitted.

PEER REVIEW ASSIGNMENT: 20%

This is a synthesis assignment in which we ask you to reflect on the assignments you
have done in the previous weeks. Peer review is as a process in which students grade
their peers' assignments or tests based on pre-defined criteria. This assignment will
start in week 5.
The grade you receive is an average of:
3 peer reviews
1 self-review

SPECIAL INTEREST: 100x100 CHALLENGE: 0%

The special interest assignment takes place in the 'teams' tool in your progress bar.
This is an optional assignment and hence receives no grading.

QUIZZES UNDER THE VIDEOS: 0%

You will find short quizzes under the videos. These are meant for you to practice and to
check your understanding of the videos. They are not graded.
We wish you lots of fun following this AMS MOOC!

The AMS MOOC Course Team