Course-PM

BOM210 - Urban space and functions lp3 VT21 (6 hp)

The course is offered by the department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

 

Zoom link

The course uses one main zoom link for most lectures and presentations. 

https://chalmers.zoom.us/j/65720084750 - Password: USF2021

For the group project, a link will be provided at the start of the project work for each supervisor.

 

Contact details

Main contacts

Sebastien Rauch (Examiner), Professor, Water Environment Technology, Sebastien.rauch@chalmers.se

Leonardo Rosado, Associate Professor, Water Environment Technology, Rosado@chalmers.se

Marie Abadikhah (Administrator), PhD candidate, Water Environment Technology, marie.abadikhah@chalmers.se

 

Project supervisors

Anna Kaczorowska, Researcher, Urban Design and Planning, anna.kaczorowska@chalmers.se

Anna Norén, PhD candidate, Water Environment Technology, anna.noren@chalmers.se

Jorge Gil, Assistant Professor, Urban Design and Planning, jorge.gil@chalmers.se

Leonardo Rosado, Associate Professor, Water Environment Technology, Rosado@chalmers.se

Marie Abadikhah, PhD candidate, Water Environment Technology, marie.abadikhah@chalmers.se

Sebastien Rauch (Examiner), Professor, Water Environment Technology, Sebastien.rauch@chalmers.se

Yuliya Kalmykova, Professor, Water Environment Technology, Yuliya.Kalmykova@chalmers.se

 

Language and Communication

Carl Johan Carlsson, Senior Lecturer, Dep. of Communication and Learning in Science, caca@chalmers.se

Fia Christina Börjeson, Senior Lecturer, Dep. of Communication and Learning in Science, fia.borjeson@chalmers.se

 

Communication

If you have any question or concern, feel free to contact Sebastien and Marie by email. In addition, we will have a drop-in zoom session every Friday at 12.00-13.00 using the main zoom link above. This zoom session is for you to ask questions and is optional.

For project-related questions, you will have to contact you supervisor.

 

Course purpose

BOM210 is an introduction to the subject area Urban Planning and Infrastructure (samhällsplanering och infrastruktur) and the profile Infrastructure and Construction (Infrastruktur och anläggning). It aims therefore at providing the knowledge base in this area focusing especially on the built environment and technical systems in urban areas. It aims to give a professional-oriented insight on how socio-technical systems work and can be planned through a case study.

 

Schedule

The course schedule can be found here. 

Course schedule

Course activities include lectures in zoom, pre-recorded lectures and exercises, as well as group project supervision. Deadlines for Assignments A1,2,3, Group project submissions G1,2,3,4 and the final group project presentation are also provided in the schedule.

Time for you to watch the pre-recorded lectures is booked on the schedule as 'Lectures XXX - Zoom'. Please note that you should watch all the planning lectures before Exercise 1 and all the urban systems lectures before Exercise 2.

Time for you to work on your individual assignments is booked on the schedule as 'Individual study'.

Time for you to work on your group project is booked on the schedule as 'Unsupervised project work'.

Link to TimeEdit.

 

Course literature - Documents and course material

The course relies on a number of documents, including municipal reports and plan. These documents will be linked in course when appropriate.

All course material, e.g. lecture slides and videos, will also be available on Canvas.

Link to Documents and course material. 

 

Course design

The course is based on a problem-based learning progression that aims at providing a broader understanding of urban planning and systems.

The course is designed as a case study with supporting lectures. The lectures aim to provide basic knowledge relevant to urban planning and urban systems. The case study, which is performed in groups and based on an existing area in the Gothenburg region, will provide an opportunity to develop basic skills needed for the development and operation of urban infrastructure and systems. The course also provides an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with planning and systems in Gothenburg.

Problem-based learning

Problem-based learning is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem. Students learn both thinking strategies and domain knowledge. The goals of problem-based learning are to help students develop flexible knowledge, effective problem solving skills, self-directed learning, effective collaboration skills and intrinsic motivation. Problem-based learning is widely believed to result in improved learning and increased understanding.

Working in groups, students identify what they already know, what they need to know, and how and where to access new information that may lead to the resolution of the problem. Each group has a supervisor and the role of the supervisor is to facilitate learning by supporting, guiding, and monitoring the learning process.

Language

The main language of the course is English. Parts of the course and course literature are in Swedish. The written examination and the final poster presentation will be in English.

The choice of language for the course reflects an intention to introduce students to learning and working in English. The department of Communication and Learning in Science will provide language support during the course. It is important to note that you will not be assessed for your language skills and that language support will be provided. It is also important to note that some of the reading material provided during the course is in Swedish (e.g. reports from municipalities).

 

Changes made since the last occasion

Last course session was mainly done prior to the corona pandemic. Changes this year mostly include the move to online lecture, different contact times and presentation format for the project work.

In addition, the exam is replaced by a set of 3 individual assignments (the 3rd individual assignment was already in previous editions of the course).

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

- Describe the objects, systems and actors relevant to urban planning, including the roles of engineers and the forms of collaboration.

- Describe the planning, construction and operation of urban developments and technical systems, and their relation to the engineering process.

- Describe the most important rules, norms, laws and policies applicable in urban planning, infrastructure development and environment.

- Describe the different types of urban typologies, and explain how urban sprawl and densification affect infrastructure planning.

- Describe the most important urban infrastructures (energy, transportation, water and wastewater, waste management and the urban environment) and the need for sustainable infrastructures considering ecological, social and economic aspects.

- Plan for temporal and spatial changes in socio-technical systems, and explain the significance of this for the sustainability of the built environment.

- Describe in general terms the city's water and wastewater systems and explain how to plan sustainable water supply and sewerage in the built environment.

- Describe in general terms how to plan mobility and transport in the city, and explain how different choices of transport infrastructure affects mobility and access to services.

- Evaluate in a simplified manner how traffic noise and ground vibrations from transportation affect human health and wellbeing and their implications for urban planning.

- Describe in general terms the city's waste systems and explain how to design sustainable waste management in the built environment.

- Motivate the importance of reducing CO2 emissions and suggest climate adaptation measures for the built environment.

- Consider general ethical issues in urban planning and construction, e.g. cost vs. sustainable technologies.

- Read and use technical texts and scholarly articles in a conscious, critical and effective manner.

- Sift through, collate and summarize the information gathered, and explain and describe the subject content.

- Know the basic communication factors in English and adapt these to oral and written communication situations.

- Introduce and clearly explain in English a subject in way which is adapted to the communication situation.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen: - Study plan

 

Examination form

The entire course corresponds to 6.0 credits, including 3.0 credits for individual assignments related to the lectures (Part 1) and 3.0 credits for project work (Part 2). The final grade is F (fail), 3, 4, 5 with 5 being the highest grade. All deadlines are provided on the course schedule.

To pass Part 1 students are required to attend the lectures, and submit and pass all the 3 individual assignments. 

To pass Part 2 students are required to actively participate in the group work, as well as provide an individual report concerning the group project. You are expected to actively participate and contribute to the group work. We intend to provide a single grade for all students in a group, but keep the possibility to grade or fail students individually if issues arise in the group work.

The final grade for the entire course is calculated using the actual, non-rounded grade for Part 1 and Part 2.