Sustainable Urban Systems (Singapore Field School)
This course explores the highly developed urban environment of Singapore, which faces multiple pressures of rapid population growth and urbanisation, constraints on natural resources, and climate change.
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Course Overview
This course explores the highly developed urban environment of Singapore, which faces multiple pressures of rapid population growth and urbanisation, constraints on natural resources, and climate change. Singapore is viewed internationally as an island-State that has forged successful strategies towards urban sustainability, and hence we will be observing and interrogating these around the major themes of food and water security, energy, transport, waste and living spaces (both built, and green). Knowledge derived from this can then be used to consider the transferability of these strategies to other urban environments, and the benefits and trade-offs for future strategic urban planning. Students will have an immersive learning experience across two weeks in-country with opportunities to hear from experts in relevant fields of study, and to visit key sites of interest.
Course Details
- Course dates: In country November 17-30, 2024
- No course prerequisites (apart from having completed 24 units)
Enrollment Information
Key Locations
We will be visiting key locations around Singapore, including areas of Greenspace managed by NParks, housing developments, galleries and museums, fish farms, food production sites and pre-urbanised island environments. Expect to ride on bumboats, capture glimpses of urban wildlife, and marvel at the deep three dimensionality of development.
Key People
Sara Beavis is the convenor of the course who has developed the program with Frederick Chew. She has experience and applied knowledge relevant to those aspects of the course dealing with water, waste, the built environment, and more broadly, sustainability of island environments.
"I am looking forward to seeing students unpackage the complexities of what urban sustainability entails in Singapore, and then to use that to start thinking critically about cities in their own home environments" - Sara Beavis
Sarah Clement is the co-convenor of the course and brings expertise in nature-based solutions and urban greening, as well as urban planning. She has been involved in these areas of research and practice in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.
"I am looking forward to seeing parts of Singapore that I would never be able to see as a tourist. It’s a ‘behind the scenes’ look at a city that has a reputation for being one of the greenest in the world!" - Sarah Clement
Frederick Chew, Education Manager, was born and raised in Singapore. He has played a key role in the development of the course and his involvement in the Field School is as the local expert.
"I'm most looking forward to having students explore how a modern city can develop sustainably" - Frederick Chew