CCLab

This online course offers foundational theories and practical examples to understand the transdisciplinary principles behind creating environmentally friendly, resilient, and liveable cities and regions. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration across diverse fields, the course explores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to address the complex challenges of building sustainable futures. Themes include urban planning and design, mobility, energy, governance and community engagement, technological innovation, and management studies. Led by experts from five prestigious IDEA League universities – RWTH Aachen University (RWTH), Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Chalmers University of Technology (Chalmers), Politecnico di Milano (Polimi), and ETH Zurich – this course equips participants with the basic knowledge needed to drive positive urban and regional changes, considering spatial, environmental, social, and economic factors.

M1: Introduction

Introduction to the course, pathways to sustainable and resilient urban development, preparing for urban transformation towards 2050.

• Dr. ir. Ceren Sezer, RWTH Aachen, Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism
• Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher, RWTH Aachen, Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism
• Prof.Dr.ir. Andy van den Dobbelsteen, TUDelft, Department of Architectural Engineering + Technology

M2: Concepts for Future Cities and Regions

Spatial Strategy for the Rhenish Coal-Mining Region, Eco-city concepts, the idea of The Just City.

• Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher, RWTH Aachen, Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism
• Asso. Prof. Eugenio Morello, Polimi, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies
• Dr. ir. Ceren Sezer, RWTH Aachen, Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism

M3: Mobility

Fundamentals of travel mode characteristics and sustainable mobility strategies.

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Kuhnimhof, RWTH Aachen, Chair and Institute of Urban and Transport Planning

M4: Energy

Energy transformation, the evolving grid, automation, and power forecasting.

• Univ.-Prof. Antonello Monti, RWTH Aachen, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems
• Prof. Dr. Peter Palensky, TUDelft, Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy
• Prof. Dr. Sonia Leva, Polimi, Department of Energy

M5: Circularity

Theory and concepts in circularity, tools for implementation, circular buildings, neighborhoods, and cities.

• Postdoctoral Researcher Gilliam Dokter, Chalmers, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
• Prof. Dr. Liane Thuvander, Chalmers, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

M6: Governance

Governance’s role in planning, types of governance for contemporary urban challenges, grassroots initiatives.

• Assist. Prof. Marcin Dabrowski, TUDelft, Department of Urbanism
• Prof. Dr. Valeria Fedeli, Polimi, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies
• Asso. Prof. Carolina Pacchi, Polimi, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies

M7: Digitalisation

Big data in urban design, digital twin systems, digital twins as planning tools.

• Prof. Dr. Bige Tunçer, ETH Zurich/Future Cities Lab and TU Eindhoven, Department of Built Environment
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jakob Beetz, RWTH Aachen, Chair of Design Computation
• Prof. Dr. Monica Billger, Chalmers, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

M8: Modes of Transition

Business model innovation, sustainable transitions, individual perspectives on sustainable change.

• Prof. Dr. Tobias Fredberg, Chalmers, Division of Entrepreneurship and Strategy/ Affiliated Visiting Professor of Institute for Technology and Innovation Management RWTH Aachen
• Asso. Prof. Nizar Abdelkafi, Polimi, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering
• Prof. Dr. Frank Piller, RWTH Aachen, Institute for Technology and Innovation Management

The course is available to students and professionals interested in shaping the built environment to enhance the quality of life for all and foster climate resilience and action. You can access to course page here.

The course is developed by the Chair and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism at RWTH Aachen University, led by Prof. Christa Reicher, and coordinated by Ceren Sezer in collaboration with the IDEA League institutions.