SGLK22001U Creating Healthy Cities

Volume 2022/2023
Education

MSc in Global Health - elective summer course

Content

As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, crucial questions arise: How can urban living be sustainable, liveable and healthy? This summer course addresses these questions with a focus on how infrastructure, social-political conditions and the environment interact in a healthy city. The first part of the course explores urban infrastructure and how health and disease shape urban space and vice versa. The second part covers socio-political aspects of healthy urban living with a focus on disparities and migration. The third part of the course examines environmental aspects, in particular urban adaptation to climate change, management of disaster risks and opportunities for green and healthy urban development.

The course participants are introduced to interdisciplinary, research-based and solution-oriented approaches that integrate and cut across the three focus areas. Examples from urban settings around the world are matched with real-life cases in selected locations in Copenhagen. Course participants will work with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors to integrate perspectives on urban theory with real-life challenges and solutions.

Learning Outcome

The objective of the course is to provide the course participant with knowledge, skills and competencies to identify and analyse approaches to address complex and interrelated urban challenges across the world. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Knowledge
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge about urban trends and challenges relating to infrastructure, socio-political factors and environmental risks and their interconnected nature in terms of health and wellbeing

Skills
Identify and analyse the dynamics of creating healthy cities through both theoretical and practical lenses.

Competencies

  • Discuss different theoretical positions in relation to major urban trends
  • Apply approaches and tools to create solutions to a healthy urban environment
  • Contribute to a constructive and effective multidisciplinary team process
Literature

Scientific publications, reports, case stories, data sets

This is a MSc level course aimed at students as well as professionals in all fields of social and natural sciences, public health, humanities, engineering, architecture and business with an interest in healthy urban development, who at least hold a completed Bachelor degree (or equivalent).
The teaching methods will include a combination of formal lectures, on-line modules, quizzes, class and team exercises, as well as field visits and case-based learning in the form of a team project.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 24
  • Preparation
  • 58
  • Field Work
  • 20
  • Project work
  • 30
  • Exam
  • 6
  • Total
  • 138
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Practical oral examination
Type of assessment details
Continuous assessment with final oral exam.
During the summer course, the participants work on a case-based project in teams.
On the last day to pass the exam the project must be presented by the teams to and approved by a panel of experts including representatives from the University of Copenhagen and selected external stakeholders.
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Exam period

Please see the exam plan

Re-exam

Please see the exam plan

Criteria for exam assesment

Knowledge
Demonstrate knowledge about selected urban trends and challenges relating to infrastructure, socio-political factors and environmental risks and their interconnected nature in terms of health and wellbeing

Skills
Identify and analyse the dynamics of creating healthy cities through both theoretical and practical lenses

Competencies

  • Discuss different theoretical positions in relation to major urban trends
  • Apply approaches and tools to create solutions to a healthy urban environment
  • Contribute to a constructive and effective multidisciplinary team process