About this course

The United Nations SDG Academy offers this free online course on “Sustainable Cities” to introduce the main challenges urban areas face around the world and help those working on or interested in urban development understand the role government, private and other sectors can play to support and improve urban development.

The course has been developed by the SDG Academy and the India Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and seeks to teach learners how different stakeholders in urban development can move toward achieving SDG11_ “making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable“ by 2030.

Course details:

• Institution: SDG AcademyX
• Platform: EdX
• Language: English
• Learning mode: MOOC and self-paced
• Subject: Environmental Studies
• Price: Free (purchasing certificate costs $49 which is optional)
• Level: Intermediate
• Duration: 9 weeks (4-6 hours/week)
• Video transcript: English
• Start date: Available Now

Course instructors:

• Aromar Revi: Director, Indian Institute for Human Settlements
• Jeffrey D. Sachs: Professor, Columbia University
• Joshua Castellino: Executive Director and Professor of Law, Minorities Rights Group International
• Susan Parnell: Chair in Human Geography, University of Bristol
• And many more

Learning objectives

In this course you will earn:

• An outline of governance, land management, utilities, and other entities that constitute urban systems.
• Knowledge of how poverty, health, economic opportunity, and other people-focused issues affect urban systems and development.
• How technology contributes to shaping transportation, energy, urban resilience, and more.
• Case studies of big cities in the Global North and South.

Course syllabus

The course will cover the following topics:

• 1^st Module: Urban opportunity
• 2^nd Module: What makes a city function?
• 3^rd Module: How can we mitigate urban poverty and safer and more inclusive cities?
• 4^th Module: Making cities productive and reducing inequality
• 5^th Module: Improving human development in cities.
• 6^th Module:  Delivering universal urban services and infrastructure
• 7^th Module: How can cities be resilient?
• 8^th Module: Governing sustainable cities.
• 9th Module: Implementing change

Who is this course for?

This course best suits those interested in the concept of sustainable cities, undergraduate and graduate students studying in urban studies or related fields, sustainable development practitioners, and private actors involved in these areas.

Course benefits

You will receive a certificate which is:

• Official, verified, and instructor-signed highlighting your skills and increasing your job prospect
• Easily shareable_ you can share it elsewhere
• Proven motivator_ give yourself an extra incentive to complete this and other online courses
• The course is taught by leading experts from top world universities

How to apply?

Interested learners can apply for this course by registering online.

Enroll Now

For more details of the course including its content, please visit edX’s website.

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