Climate Change and Cities

Programme details

This course begins on 17 September 2026, which is when the course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting which will be held on 24 September 2026, 18:00-19:00 (UK time).

1. What is climate change?
2. Cities and climate change: the historical context
3. Resilient cities?
4. The economics of climate change
5. Urban systems: adaptation and mitigation
6. Exploring eco-towns
7. Environmental challenges for cities in the Global South
8. Waste and water in climate-changed cities
9. Climate justice and development
10. Global and local urban futures

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 and for the weekly webinar. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours, including those spent in live webinars.

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 follow this link.

Course aims

This course aims to:

• To explain the theories and impact of climate change on cities.
• To explore the complexities of changing climates on urban living, in past, present, and future contexts.
• To consider future trends for more sustainable forms of urban development.

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 17 September 2026, which is when the course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting which will be held on 24 September 2026, 18:00-19:00 (UK time).

1. What is climate change?
2. Cities and climate change: the historical context
3. Resilient cities?
4. The economics of climate change
5. Urban systems: adaptation and mitigation
6. Exploring eco-towns
7. Environmental challenges for cities in the Global South
8. Waste and water in climate-changed cities
9. Climate justice and development
10. Global and local urban futures

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:

• Have generated a foundational knowledge of the key theories and practices of climate change and the impacts on cities and their populations
• Can evaluate practical evidence and scholarship relating to climate change and the built environment
• Have developed a global outlook on the current and future challenges and opportunities of developing more sustainable cities

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first 500-word assignment 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 Pedro Marques – Tutor

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first 500-word assignment 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 and for the weekly webinar. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours, including those spent in live webinars.

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 follow this link.

Fees

Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

Book now