Integrated Metabolic Design for Sustainable Neighborhoods, Cities and Regions

In the course, students address sustainability challenges of society metabolism based on a systemic understanding, analysis and design:

• through different spatial scales (from urban block and street to neighbourhood, city and region)

• through different disciplines of engineering, design and governance

• through interaction with different institutions and stakeholders

A theoretical foundation of society's metabolism and the methods used to improve it is introduced, discussed and applied through a methodological, multiscale, iterative cycle of analysis, design and assessment.

Presentations are used to share findings with stakeholders and gather feedback for further design iterations.

The final assessment has two parts: (i) the final poster presentation in front of colleagues, teachers and stakeholders and (ii) a written reflection reacting to the feedback received on the poster presentation.

Each individual week finishes with a formative assessment, either a review by the course instructors or a peer review between the students. This way, the students get weekly formative assessments.

A rubric will be used for grading. The rubric will be available in the quarter guide or on the course specific Bright Space page.

The project is awarded a grade that is a whole or half number between 1.0 and 10.0. Students pass the course with a 6.0 or higher. With a grade below 6.0: students who presented assessable work during the course are allowed to do a repair to change the grade into a ‘pass’.  The repair is unsupervised and must be handed in either by the end of Friday in week 5.1 or Friday of week 5.3.

When the repair is unsuccessful, the student needs to follow the entire course again.