Development of Sustainable Periurban Landscapes – New Visions and Strategies

University of Copenhagen
9 – 20 August 2010

Students must arrive by: Sunday 8 August 2010

• Course Description
• Target Audience
  
• Delivery Method
• Assessment Details
• Accommodation
  
• Costs
• Further Information

Course Description

The course is a planning course with emphasis upon actions, solutions, and future prospects for sustainable peri-urban development. Peri-urban landscapes are characterised by great heterogeneity and rapid changes of land use, mainly because they are attractive to many functions and permanently under pressure from urban expansion and demands imposed by nearby population concentrations. Thus, peri-urban areas are located in an in-between situation: neither city nor countryside, hosting a range of functions, spanning from agricultural production, forestry and non-rural enterprises to residential and recreational functions. The current search for sustainable urban development as well as adaptations to climate change, have additionally increased the interests in peri-urban functions and land use patterns. The overall subject of the course is sustainable planning for peri-urban landscapes.

With point of departure in a specific ‘project area within the Greater Copenhagen Region, the students will work with SWOT analysis, landscape assessments, impact models and other analytical tools to produce a basis for the formulation of visions, strategies and plans for future developments.

The students will be provided with data and other inputs concerning the project area, including information on socio-economic condition, environmental and ecological state and character of the landscape. Local ideas and visions for the area will be presented by politicians, professionals and involved citizens.

The relevant theoretical and methodological issues will be presented in lectures and workshops by a number of teachers from inside as well outside University of Copenhagen. Such issues include: driving forces of peri-urban landscape change, complexity theory and its application in transition management, scenario building, strategic landscape analysis, sustainability impact assessment, and ‘best case’ examples of local plans and strategies for sustainable development in peri-urban areas.

After completing of the course the students should be able to:

• Describe and understand the characteristics and specific problems of peri-urban areas including understanding of driving forces and existing planning initiatives
• Describe basic indicators of sustainability
• Apply methods for description, analysis and assessment/evaluation of peri-urban landscapes
• Apply theory on sustainable development
• Formulate and communicate visions, strategies and plans for a sustainable development of peri-urban landscape
• Work in groups with students from different disciplines
• Discuss the functionality of peri-urban landscape in a wider regional context

Target Audience

The course applies to experienced students (from 3rd year and upwards) within landscape architecture, geography, landscape and urban planning as well as others with an interest in sustainable landscape planning.

Delivery Method

Teaching is provided as lectures, seminars and workshops, excursions, project guidance. Some individual literature studies are also expected. During the course the students will manly work in groups of 4-6 persons.

The course is starting with an introduction and presentation of students and teachers. For the presentation the students have to prepare a presentation of 3 slides introducing their ‘home’ landscape. The introduction is followed by a whole day excursion and after the excursion the students will start their group work and select their working topic.

In days to follow different lectures will be giving in the morning and late afternoon or night. During the second week the students will mainly work with their analysis and planning projects supported by supervision. The students will be asked to make short presentations of their work in progress during both first and second week.

By the end of the course the students will present their work through oral presentations and written posters. Midway in the course there will be a day off where different social events will be arranged. The course includes a 1.5 weeks self study (reading before course start).

Assessment

The student is expected to participate actively in all course activities and to deliver a poster of 3 pages describing the project assigned (prepared in groups).
Assessment:

• An individual presentation of the landscape of the students’ native places (20%)
• An individual written problem formulation and considerations of solutions, 1 - 1½ page (30%)
• An individual presentation and discussion of the project (50%)

The course gives 5 ECTS. 1/6 of a semester’s load (30 ECTS).

Accommodation

The course will be held as a boarding school at a university location in Nøddebo (Northern part of Zealand). The students will share double rooms.

Costs (Danish Kroner)

Tuition fee: No tuition fee for students from IARU universities

Accommodation: DKK 2,500

Estimated visa cost: DKK 450, if applicable

Estimated text book costs: N/A

Estimated living expenses: DKK 2,500

Further Information

For further information about this course, visit TBA.