Course syllabus

Course-PM

BOM210 Urban space and functions lp3 VT24 (6 hp)

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

The course information can be found here: BOM210 Course PM 2024.pdf

 

Contact details

• Examiner and main responsible teacher: Sebastien Rauch, sebastien.rauch@chalmers.se
• Co-responsible teacher: Leonardo Rosado, rosado@chalmers.se

 

Student representatives

    Laila El-Rifai (TAFFS)
    Anton Johansson  (TAFFS)
    Molly Andersson (TISAM)
    Isak Karlsson (TISAM)
    Disa Malmhester (TKSAM)
    Felix Falk (TKSAM)

Course purpose

BOM210 is an introduction to the subject area Urban Planning and Infrastructure (samhällsplanering och infrastruktur). 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 schedule, including lectures, assignment and project submission deadlines, project supervision, and presentation are provided here:

Course schedule 2024.pdf

The schedule includes study time (for you to work on your assignment or study/read the course material) and unsupervised project work (for you to work on the project and prepare the group assignments).

The schedule is also available in TimeEdit

 

Course literature

The course uses material available online, including municipal documents (e.g. comprehensive plan, detailed development plans, municipal strategies).

 

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 and is composed of 2 parts.

Part 1 - lectures. The lectures aim to provide basic knowledge relevant to urban planning and infrastructures in urban areas. The lectures are given in 2 sets, i.e. course week 1 focuses on urban planning and course week 2 focuses on infrastructures and urban systems.

Part 2 - group project. The group project is a case study done in groups of ca. 6 students. The case study, which is performed in groups and based on an existing area in the Gothenburg region, will provide an opportunity to apply 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.

 

Changes made since the last occasion

The course follow the same organisation with the same activities as last year. A new individual assignment has been created and replaces the previous assignments.

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

The aim of the course translates into the following learning outcomes, which provide further details of the objectives of the course. Students having passed the course are expected to be able to:

• 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 their role and consequences in society.
• Demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of urban development and infrastructure from a sustainability perspective, where social and equality aspects, economic aspects and environmental and work environment aspects are differentiated and integrated.
• 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 and adapt these to oral and written communication situations.
• Introduce and clearly explain a subject in way which is adapted to the communication situation.
• Describe factors for teamwork in a diverse group and evaluate one's own effort with focus on equality, inclusion and diversity.

Sustainable development is a central aspect of city planning and a motivation for change; it is therefore also an important part of the course.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen. Study plan

 

Examination form

The course corresponds to 6.0 credits, including 3.0 credits for Part 1 (lectures) and 3.0 credits for Part 2 (project work). The final grade is F (fail), 3, 4, 5 with 5 being the highest grade.

To pass Part 1 students are required to attend the lectures, pass the written exam and an individual assignments. The exam is on February 12. The exam is based the lectures and reading materials, and includes two sections, i.e. questions (both multiple choice and open questions) and a short essay. The exam is graded F (fail), 3, 4, 5. Please note that you do not need to register for the exam. The assignment is graded pass/fail.

To pass Part 2 students are required to participate in the presentation of the group work on March 8 and provide a group report. 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.

Re-exams will be given during the June and August re-exam sessions.

 

Participation and attendance

Part 1: We expect that you attend the lectures, which will provide the knowledge needed to pass the exam and the assigment. We will not check attendance for the lectures.

Part 2: We expect that you participate at all supervised sessions. If you cannot participate at a supervised session, please inform your supervisor and group. We also expect that you participate in the group project presentation. If you cannot attend the group presentation, pleased inform your supervisor and the course examiner.

If you are sick or have any other issue, please inform the course examiner.