Welcome to the module SUSTAINABLE CITIES (SBSS 313)! 

Sustainable Development Goal 11, titled "sustainable cities and communities," is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (see Figure 1 below) established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The official mission of SDG 11 is to "Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable." This module will assist you in developing knowledge and insight regarding sustainable cities and communities to respond to SDG 11 from a spatial planning perspective by seeking integrated creative solutions.

Figure 1: Sustainable Development Goals                                                           

(Source: Carr, Petroofsky, Spracklen, Lewis, Roe, Trull, Vidal, Wicander, Worthington-Hill, Sallu, 2021)

In order to obtain more practical information on SDG 11, follow this link to read more about the different targets we have to meet, how to take action, and what is happening around the world in response to this goal:

https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/11-sustainable-cities-and-communities/

Background: More than half of us live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming how we build and manage our urban spaces. The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration—has led to a boom in cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more significant feature of urban life. Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

Purpose of the module: The primary purpose of this module is to consider how we can plan for more sustainable, resilient, and regenerative cities. In order to develop creative solutions, we need to look at sustainable cities from multiple perspectives and consider the different dimensions of sustainable cities, including economic, social, environmental, and spatial components. The critical question is, how do we plan for sustainable cities and communities? This is the primary question we need to consider in this module.

Module outcomes:

• Demonstrate integrated knowledge and logical understanding of theories, planning principles, and approaches to planning sustainable cities;

• Demonstrate a coherent understanding of the different perspectives and complex problems relating to the interpretation of sustainable cities;

• Demonstrate an advanced ability to analyse, evaluate and consider complex problems relating to the planning of sustainable cities, with sufficient evidence from theory and practice;

• Demonstrate the ability to reflect on the values, ethical conduct, and justifiability of decisions appropriate to the practice of city planning and broader sustainability thinking;

• Demonstrate an ability to develop and communicate your own ideas and opinions in well-formed arguments using appropriate academic, professional, or occupational discourse.

I hope you will enjoy this module as much as I will enjoy it facilitating it this semester. 

Karen

Dr. Karen Puren (Module facilitator/lecturer)    

Pr. Pln A/103/2009 Ph.D. MURP B Arch (Stud) 

Office: Building E4, G 43     

E-mail:  karen.puren@nwu.ac.za    

Contact number: 084 612 6001 (WhatsApp - 09:00-18:00)