CEM220: Urban Sustainability

Module code: CEM220

Module provider: School of Construction Management and Engineering, School of Built Environment

Credits: 10

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rory Jones, email: r.v.jones@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): This module is only available to flexible modular students who enrolled before January 2023. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module develops an awareness and knowledge of how the principles of sustainable development (SD) can be applied in an integrated and holistic way at city level.

The urban sustainability module places sustainable development within a city-level context but also highlights the importance of integrating SD across building, neighbourhood and city levels to ensure sustainable outcomes. The module explores the different ways in which new cities and existing cities may be viewed. The overall role of urban planning is also explored in shaping and producing sustainable outcomes in cities. Consideration is also given to the challenges of retrofitting and re-engineering cities to 2050. The module also explores how key technologies at city level are deployed (for example urban water drainage and urban waste management).

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. An understanding of how sustainability may be integrated across scales (building, neighbourhood and city level) and sectors.
2. An ability to recognise key examples of sustainable cities.
3. An awareness of the key actors and networks which operate within the urban sustainability arena.

Module content

This module is designed to develop understanding and knowledge through a structured series of topics:

• Introduction and Overview of urban sustainability
• Urban Planning
• Systemic Thinking and Sustainable Cities
• Concepts of Sustainable Development and Sustainability
• Sustainability Measurement Systems
• Sustainable Urban Transportation
• Urban Retrofitting
• Urban Energy Systems
• Urban Water Systems
• Urban Waste Systems

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, supervised time in seminars and workshops and guided independent study.

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The below information applies to all full time and flexible modular students on taught PGT programmes in SBE

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs