Amsterdam, Netherlands

Key Topics in Urban Studies

This online winter course can be completed at your own pace, and will introduce you to the field of Urban Studies through a series of pre-recorded lectures by our team of experts. Their lectures will introduce you to key topics in the multidisciplinary study of cities, combined with video tours, readings and assignments. This asynchronous online course is ideal to gain a broad overview of the central issues being debated and discussed in urban studies today.

Cities and city life are in constant flux, undergoing transformations through local, regional, national and global pressures and developments. With the majority of the world’s population living in urban areas and many people calling these places home, 'the urban' forms an extremely important unit of analysis. Today, approximately 55% of the world’s population lives in Urban areas and the United Nations have projected that this will go up to 68% by 2050.

This means that many of societies’ current and future challenges are inseperable from the urban context. Understanding the cities and urban environments of the present and how we experience, produce, and plan them, provide key insights into the cities of the future. The study of urban environments from different disciplines and working towards innovative, sustainable, and just cities, is therefore more important than ever.

This programme will include the following topics:

Urban psychology and sensescapes
Housing, gentrification, and inequality
Urban planning, governance, and property development
Urban social movements
Circular Cities
The influence of digital platforms on cities
Smart urban ecology

Target group

For current university students of all levels and professionals from any discipline. A general interest in urban studies from a variety of perspectives is essential.

Fee info

EUR 350: This includes:
- Access to our online learning environment and the digital library.
- All pre-recorded material and readings for the course.
- Short assignments that need to be completed in order to receive a certificate of participations
All course readings and materials
Access to the digital library at the UvA
Welcome and wrap-up sessions
Live and pre-recorded lectures
Access to the digital learning environment
Individual feedback from our instructors on all course assignments
An official transcript or certificate of participation