Course Catalogue

See, share and shape your city: SDG11 in practice (C4L) URBAN1017

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: Yes

Short Description

In this course students will "see" an urban environment, carry out research to investigate different ways to "shape" a specific local area and then co-produce and "share" a visual or written output which addresses one of the main Global Sustainable Development Goals-  SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

 

Students work in small teams, questioning what works and doesn't work in their home cities, and go on a site visit together to engage with and challenge their lived experiences of city life. They work together to research and develop an imaginative and inclusive solutions to urban challenges- helping them become a globally engaged citizen.

Timetable

15 hours of timetabled on-campus teaching in Semester 2 delivered in 2 hourly blocks (1 hour information [lecture] sessions + 1 hour workshops/seminars), once per week, over 5 consecutive weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Mandatory Entry Requirements:

None

 

Recommended Entry Requirements:

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Students will submit an individual portfolio at the end of the course. The portfolio will consist of one blog and one personal reflection (100% weighting, i.e. 50% for blog, 50% for personal reflection).

 

The blog - this assessment asks students to reflect on their learning highlights, experiences of conducting site visits, their initial assumptions and how their discipline can contribute to developing more sustainable cities. For example, historians might consider the primary evidence behind an argument or engineers might consider how infrastructure planning and development might resolve current challenges. (750 words maximum, at least 4 images) [ILO 1, ILO 2]

 

The personal reflection - This assessment asks students to reflect on the formative group work process, discuss any unexpected outcomes and reflect on their personal strengths and interests and how their knowledge and skills have changed over the entire duration of the course and which skills they want to develop further. (750 words maximum) at least 4 mages [ILO 3]

Course Aims

See, share and shape your city is an interdisciplinary course designed to help you develop cognition skills by looking at real-world issues affecting people living and working in cities and then problem solving by proposing solutions which contribute to addressing these issues.

 

Through researching initiatives which address your chosen issue locally (through a site visit), nationally (through learning from guest speakers) and internationally (by online research) you will develop an understanding of sustainability (SDG 11) and interdisciplinary project management approaches, working collaboratively to creatively explain the issue and explore different perspectives of shaping change.

 

You will then reflect on how you can contribute your own skills and interests towards becoming a change maker in urban environments.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify a current urban challenge and analyse the problems which this presents for the people who spend time there.

■ Develop communication skills through drawing on evidence to design a creative output on how to address this problem based on your research into this area. 

■ Reflect on how different perspectives and disciplinary approaches can shape the solving of problems in cities, including how your own skills can shape these approaches.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions