Syllabus

Credits: 10

Schedule: 27.02.2019 - 29.05.2019

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation): 

Aija Staffans, Senior Research Fellow, aija.staffans@aalto.fi

Antti Kauppi, M.Sc. (Arch), antti.kauppi@aalto.fi

Otso Helenius,
M.Sc. (Arch), PhD candidate, otso.helenius@aalto.fi

Please note that there are misleading dates in subtitles (2018-2020) added automatically from Oodi - Ignore them! Follow our weekly schedule on the course home page

Teaching Period (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

IV-V (spring term), intensive week

Learning Outcomes (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

The aim of the course is to provide understanding of the multidimensional concept of ´smart and liveabe city' and the ubiquitous ICT in our living environment, what this means in different contexts and how it can be applied and evaluated from a variety of perspectives in the practice of planning and design.

As an outcome of the course the student achieves knowledge of different urban systems in the context of liveability, and recognizes the wide-ranging expertise necessary to the planning and developing cities.

Students will learn to cope with the uncertainties in available planning data and, to consider the reliability of methods through a hands-on process in which their planning principles are constantly tested.

Students will get familiar with the evolving field of computational planning and planning support systems.

Finally, students will receive practical skills which support their professional development.

Content (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

The emphasis of the course is methodological. The students will conduct a series of methodological exercises related to planning and design. The course follows a human-centric framework and discusses widely the liveability of cities.

Students will work both individually and in small teams in cooperation with professionals in the field. Besides the weekly contact teaching, an intensive week will be arranged to support working together.

Lectures will be arranged related to liveability, smart cities and digitalized planning.

Assessment Methods and Criteria (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

The pedagogy of the course is based on collaborative and problem oriented approaches, as well as learning by doing, and seeks to achieve both double and triple loop learning. Collaborative methods, rich use of urban information and ict-enabled tools, presentations and visualization skills are emphasized.

The course will be passed when the student has the following assignments accepted:

1) conducting all the planning related exercises on the smart and liveable city,

2) co-creating of the smart & livable city concept from a holistic and integrative perspective.

Therefore, 80 % participation in the classroom work is obligatory.

Elaboration of the evaluation criteria and methods, and acquainting students with the evaluation (applies in this implementation): The following assignments will be given during the course flow:

Exercise 1a
What constitutes the term liveability? Why have such terms been defined? Are they valuable/useful?
Outcome: Definition of liveability and a table of liveability components (excel)
Individual work, 20 hours/person
Assessment: (5%)
DL 5.3.

Exercise 1b
Refining the components of liveability and clustering them
Outcome: A shared definition of liveability and a table of liveability components (excel)
Team work (2-3 persons), 20 hours/person
Assessment: (5%)
DL 12.3.

Exercise 2
How can liveability be measured? What are the strongest indicators? What is their bias? What are the unknown and known unknowns?
Outcome: A liveability model, value definition and scoring
Team work (2-3 persons), 20 hours/person
Asessment: (10%)
DL 19.3.

Exercise 3
How can liveability evaluation be implemented?
Outcome: Liveability evaluation map(s), case study in practice
Individual work, 50 hours/person
Assessment: (15%)
DL 2.4.

Exercise 4
Assessment: (10%)
will be defined after the intensive week

Exercise 5
Assessment: (15%)
will be defined after the intensive week

Intensive week
During the intensive week two days will be spent for visits. On April the 9th a geodesign workshop will be organized with Geodesignhub (https://geodesignhub.com/).
Participation to the intensive program is compulsory.
Students are expected to write a reflective learning diary on the methods and tools demonstrated during the week.

Workload (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Exercises 210 hours

Intensive weak 30 hours (8.-12.4.2019, 6.-9.4.2020)

Lectures and readings 30 hours

Total 270 h (10 cr)

Details on calculating the workload (applies in this implementation): Assessment:
Exercises 1-5 60 %
Intensive week activity 30 %
Final presentation 10 %

Study Material (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Readings of the course (articles, book chapters etc.) will be specified later.

Course Homepage (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=SPT-E8010

Prerequisites (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

: For the project work of the course you should master at least one and be somewhat familiar with at least one of the following skills:

You are able to utilize and combine various cad drawings and other data from different sources, often provided as autocad-files, potentially using different coordinate systems

You are able to use either Revit or Archicad (and possibly Rhino/3dsmax + a rendering software) to open existing BIM models, quickly model, edit, and visualize anything from building parts to neighborhoods

You are able to use a graphic suite of your choosing to create visually appealing illustrations, charts, drawings, maps and page layouts

You are able to create real-time rendered 3d-scenes + simple logic and controls using a general purpose game engine such as Unity

You are able to utilize GIS data provided in different formats and coordinate systems using a suite such as ArchGIS

You can create interactive web-based visualizations HTML5 (with or without libraries such as D3) and/or mapping tool APIs, such as Google maps

You are able to use advanced analysis methods either by powerusing Excel including Macros/Pivot tables, and/or using Matlab, Mathematica

You are able to create simulations using traffic simulation software (e.g., VISSIM, Aimsun, Paramics, etc.) and/or use travel demand forecasting software (e.g., eMME, VISSUM, CUBE, etc.)

You are proficient with some evaluation tools (e.g., accessibility assessment, cost-benefit analysis, multicriteria analysis, HDM, STEAM)

You are able to create prototypes and implement algorithms using a programming language and a database management software of your choice (e.g., MS Visio, Simulink, Python, VBA, SQL)

You are proficient with some of the traffic operations design tools (e.g., Synchro, Transyt 7F, HCS+, SIDRA)

You are confident with your statistical analysis skills (e.g., SPSS, JMP, Minitab, R)

You are able to utilize qualitative data analysis tools (e.g., NVivo, Atlas.ti)

Grading Scale (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

0-5

Registration for Courses (valid 01.08.2018-31.07.2020): 

Max 15 students; masters' students from land use planning and transportation engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, real estate business, energy engineering, geo-informatics or other relevant master's programs.

Description

Registration and further information