Overview
To view overview information, please select an offering from the drop-down menu above.
Academic contacts
To view unit coordinator information, please select an offering from the drop-down menu above.
Offerings
MURDOCH-S1-EXT-2018-2024
MURDOCH-S1-FACE2FACE-2025-ONGOING
MURDOCH-S1-INT-2018-2024
MURDOCH-S1-ONLINEFLEX-2025-ONGOING
Requisites
Exclusion
Enrolment rules
This unit code is restricted to students of M1214 Master of Sustainable Development. Students taking this unit as an elective for another course should enrol in SUS5231.
Other learning activities
To view other learning activity information, please select an offering from the drop-down menu above.
Learning activities
To view learning activity information, please select an offering from the drop-down menu above.
Learning outcomes
1.
Identify and evaluate the sustainability challenges and issues facing cities within Australia and globally.
2.
Formulate measures to address these challenges through more sustainable urban transport, urban form and neighbourhood design, water management and urban greening.
3.
Design and implement holistic urban sustainability visions and plans which integrate these interconnected measures in a way that is tailored to each city’s unique circumstances.
4.
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Assessments
To view assessment information, please select an offering from the drop-down menu above.
Additional information
Unit content:The first topic in the unit introduces the concept of sustainable development and highlights its growing importance within urban areas. Topic 2 then briefly reviews the history of cities, focusing on how their urban form has evolved as transport technologies have changed. Topic 3 highlights major global sustainability challenges facing urban areas today, including those relating to automobile dependence. Topic 4 examines how climate change brings serious challenges for urban areas and is becoming a key driver of urban change.
Having highlighted some of the most pressing urban sustainability issues of our age, we’ll then explores how we can respond to these challenges - and envision more sustainable urban places. The focus in these topics is on various key aspects of urban sustainability that can be addressed through enlightened physical planning. Transportation systems are fundamental in shaping urban form and land use (this is a key Topic 2 theme) and for this reason, transport planning approaches are considered first. This leads into exploring strategies for curbing automobile dependence and creating better public transport (Topic 6) and urban environments that support walking, cycling and other forms of ‘active transport’. Topics 8 and 9 explore how we can create more sustainable urban form, both at high and low densities. Topics 10 and 11 then examine more sustainable way of using and reusing water and waste, and integrating nature and agriculture within our urban places.
Topic 12 then summarises the unit’s key themes and take-away messages.