Short course
Funding Sustainable Cities
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates:
13/01/2027 - 24/03/2027
Study format:
Online - live
Fees:
£430.00
While there are many potential solutions to create more sustainable cities, how can these be paid for? This 10-week online course will explore the possibilities and challenges for funding immediate, and long-term sustainable cities Classes will assess the ways in which cities can be at the forefront of promoting more sustainable lifestyles, through effective investment in housing, transport, health, energy, and education provision, while promoting opportunities for employment. Developing an understanding of the investment choices of individuals, communities, local and national governments, and businesses, and their changing roles, is a key part of the course. Classes will cater for a range of personal and professional experiences, and look at the ways in which more sustainable urban futures may be funded. Key elements of consumption and production, demand and supply will be investigated as the bedrock for more sustainable forms of living. Ideas of stewardship, patient capital, and green growth will be considered, as well as emerging ideas of recycling and retrofitting as a core part of the circular economy. Simple to say, but perhaps complicated to answer, this course seeks to answer the question: how do we pay for sustainable cities?
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
This course begins on the 13 January 2027, which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 20 January 2027, 17:30-18:30 (UK time).
Week 1: What is sustainable finance?
Week 2: Cost-benefit analysis
Week 3: Local government: the politics of funding
Week 4: What is green growth?
Week 5: Value, sustainability, and urban futures
Week 6: The circular economy
Week 7: Paying the bills: urban energy finance
Week 8: Affordable housing
Week 9: Financing public transport
Week 10: Exploring future trends: can we afford sustainable cities
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Course aims
This course aims to:
- Explain the theories and interpret the practices of sustainable urban finance.
- Assess the complexities of funding more sustainable forms of urban development
- Evaluate future trends in making sustainable urban living affordable for all.
IT requirements
Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices.
Programme details
This course begins on the 13 January 2027, which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 20 January 2027, 17:30-18:30 (UK time).
Week 1: What is sustainable finance?
Week 2: Cost-benefit analysis
Week 3: Local government: the politics of funding
Week 4: What is green growth?
Week 5: Value, sustainability, and urban futures
Week 6: The circular economy
Week 7: Paying the bills: urban energy finance
Week 8: Affordable housing
Week 9: Financing public transport
Week 10: Exploring future trends: can we afford sustainable cities
Teaching methods
This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.
All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to be able to:
- Have generated a foundational knowledge of the key theories and practices of how to finance more sustainable forms of urban living
- Are aware of the practical challenges and potential for building sustainable towns and cities, and how to communicate this knowledge
- Have considered how to evaluate different strategies for financing longer term sustainable urban development
Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Desiree Daniel-Ortmann – Tutor
Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £430.00 |
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
