Green cities – as self-regulating adaptive systems 1900-ZMSSA(KZ)-OG

Cities face multifaceted challenges of an economic, social and environmental nature. These challenges are characterised by intense and unpredictable dynamics, and their consequences are complex and irreversible, generating a sense of uncertainty among society. This forces us to view the city as a system in its own right. It is a dynamic system whose functioning is influenced by stimuli from the external environment, as well as the consequences of interactions between subsystems and systems within the urban system. This understanding of cities and global challenges means we must adapt to major transformations in order to address challenges such as climate change and the current needs of the communities living within them, making them safe and comfortable places to live. The aim of the lecture is to:

- examining the differences between 20(th) and 21(st) century urban planning;
- to explain why we speak of building urban resilience rather than adaptation, and the role of the socio-ecological system in this endeavour;
- consider why cities should be modernised rather than rebuilt, and the difference between 'green' technologies and the greening of cities.
- deepen our knowledge of implementing 'green' high-tech solutions, and of combining these activities with local building traditions.
- how to implement 'green' innovations in a sustainable and equitable manner that benefits all city residents (we will discuss the pitfalls of 'greenwashing' and green gentrification);

Finally, we will address the question of whether cities can be modernised to become self-regulating, adaptive systems that are resilient to global shocks, and the role that modern design and management tools based on AI will play in this.

Term 2025Z:

None

Type of course

general courses

Mode

Classroom

Course coordinators

Agnieszka Dudzińska-Jarmolińska

Assessment criteria

- Pre-test and post-test completion.

- Class attendance.

Practical placement

No.

Bibliography

Cugurullo F., 2021, Frankenstein Urbanism: Eco, Smart and Autonomous Cities, Artificial Intelligence and the End of the City, Routledge.
Hajer M., Pelzer P., Van den Hurk M., Ten Dam Ch., Buitelaar E., 2020, Neighbourhoods for the future: a plea for a social and ecological urbanism, trancityXvaliz.
Mostafavi M., Doherty G., 2010, Ecological Urbanism, Lars Müller Publishers.
Nel, D., du Plessis, C., & Landman, K. (2018). Planning for dynamic cities: introducing a framework to understand urban change from a complex adaptive systems approach. International Planning Studies, 23(3), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563475.2018.1439370.
Ramyar, R., Ackerman, A. & Johnston, D.M. (2021). Adapting cities for climate change through urban green infrastructure planning. Cities, 117, p.103316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103316.
Vahabzadeh Manesh, S. and Tadi, M. (2011) ‘Sustainable urban morphology emergence via complex adaptive system analysis: Sustainable design in existing context’, Procedia Engineering, 21, pp. 89–97. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.1991.

Term 2025Z:

None

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 1900-ZMSSA(KZ)-OG in USOSweb