Course syllabus for Infrastructure and urban systems

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-02 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameInfrastruktur och urbana system
  • CodeACE095
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPIEE
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 27113
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0118 Written and oral assignments 3.5 c
Grading: TH		3.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
0218 Project 4 c
Grading: TH		4 c0 c0 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites


Aim

The course will provide advanced knowledge on the role of engineers on planning, design and construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning of infrastructure with a systems perspective and with focus on urban systems. The students will learn about the challenges and needs of complex interdisciplinary infrastructure planning and management,  where different stakeholders will have different objectives and needs for the decision-making processes.
Students will also learn what flows of communication, type of information and available data are needed and what impact they have on the technical work being developed by infrastructure and environmental engineering students. Additionally, students will learn about trends in infrastructure development, e.g., to be resilient, sustainable and efficient and how they affect complementary infrastructures and urban systems. 
Special focus will be given to the main tracks of the MPIEE programme (infrastructure related to water and environment, geotechnics and geology and transportation engineering).

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Technical knowledge and reasoning
- Differentiate between the phases of infrastructure and urban systems (e.g. planning, design and construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning), and relate to their relation with the engineering role.
- Demonstrate the relationship between infrastructure, urban system and connected concepts, in particular land, water, transport, energy and waste
- Describe responsibilities and types of information needed to plan, design, operate, maintain and decommission infrastructure.
- Select and collect relevant datasets related to infrastructure and urban systems.
- Select appropriate strategies for infrastructure and urban systems to make the planning, design and construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning more resilient, sustainable and efficient.
- Quantify and argue for trade-offs, prioritize solutions, and evaluate how well they meet social, environmental and technical constraints.

Personal and professional skills and attributes
- Search, read and use technical texts and scholarly articles in a systematic, conscious, critical and effective manner.
- Apply systematic approaches by taking an holistic perspective.
- Specify the multiple roles that actors have and what type of activities need to be conducted depending on the stakeholder type.

Interpersonal skills: teamwork and communication
- Work in groups in a multi-cultural international setting.
- Show the ability to reflect on equality, diversity and inclusion in group work.
- Understand the type of information to communicate with different stakeholders.

Content

The following topics are included in the course: infrastructure, urban systems, stakeholder mapping, smart cities, urban planning, sustainable development goals, communication, data sources, resilience, ethics.

Organisation

The course includes lectures, web-based lectures, projects, literature and workshops. Examination of the course is based on a group project with guidance from the teachers and a written individual assignment.

Literature

Lecture handouts, web-based lectures, scientific publications and data sources for the projects will be made available during the course at the course web page.

Complementary literature
Weblectures developed for the course BOM210 Urban Space and Functions will be available. 

Examination including compulsory elements

The final grade is based on:
- the written group report and oral presentation/opposition (4 credits)
- the individual assignment (3.5 credits) 

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.