Infrastructure Planning and Sustainable Development

The challenge of sustainable development in the current global juncture is to eradicate poverty whilst rebuilding the ecosystems and natural resources that we depend on. This requires a step change in our approach to urban infrastructure – both the building of new infrastructure and the maintenance and upgrading of existing systems. The aim of this module is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to respond to this challenge in cities, facilitating 12 infrastructure strategies which integrate concerns for social equity, ecological sustainability and local economic growth. The module draws particular attention to the role of infrastructure in the achievement of sustainable urban development and the opportunities for innovation in infrastructure delivery. A key element to this is the teaching of new ways of thinking about infrastructure delivery that draw on emerging global action norms based on systems thinking.

Learn about the theory and practice of financing the development, renewal, repair and maintenance of infrastructure. You’ll look at how infrastructure is financed as well as alternative funding models, cost recovery options, and sources of finance. The module also examines the roles of key actors and reviews the approaches and tools used for decision-making in a variety of different contexts and under conditions of uncertainty. A key element of your learning will be understanding how to critically appraise infrastructure development proposals and to evaluate the financial and economic implications of different development options and strategies. The module is introductory in nature and no prior economics or financial training is needed.

Develop a firm understanding of governance and decision-making processes involved in the planning and delivery of different types of infrastructure. Your learning will be informed by political economy and institutional frameworks and explore different methods for addressing the broader societal impacts that arise from infrastructure delivery. Teaching involves the critical evaluation of real case studies from around the globe which are delivered by our practitioners. You also have the option to participate in an international field trip to widen your understanding.

This module is designed to equip you with the tools necessary for the scholarship and research skills needed for the computer science and cyber security fields as well as developing the professional skills and outlook needed for a lifelong career in the computing industry.

This is your opportunity to undertake a self-directed piece of work and explore an issue or theme in depth. You will develop your research ideas during semester two. Your academic advisor will play the role of advisor, supporter and questioner. Your submission can be written, or you can submit an ‘unconventional dissertation’. This can include a submission that uses media that is not based on a written narrative, such as animation, performance art, etc. Recent submissions have included a manuscript for a play, a website, theatre performance and short films.

The purpose of this dissertation is to:

• develop research and analytical competencies
• promote independent thinking and working
• look at both sides of an argument
• follow through a topic/area of personal interest to some depth
• begin to define an area of focus that may assist you in your career
• relate research and analysis to practical development/humanitarian issues
• explore new tools and approaches.

This module will equip you with a working knowledge of the key frameworks and approaches used to design and implement small-scale development projects and programmes. You will learn on the job, experimenting and bringing together your broad knowledge base and skills to design an actual project. Students begin by learning how to research and critically assess a development context using participatory and other approaches. You then use your critical analysis to design an infrastructure project, considering development goals and addressing the challenges of infrastructure delivery on the project site.

This module develops the knowledge and skills required to critically engage with the call for more ‘intelligent’ EIA/ESIA i.e. the use of ICT to harness new opportunities for stakeholder interaction and engagement with development proposals, assessment information, and the ongoing management of impacts. The module emphasises geospatial information and spatial analysis (GIS) with reference to key stages of the EIA/ESIA process; technologies and strategies for engagement in the ‘Social Age’; and the use of technical opportunities for creative collaboration e.g. via Building Information Modelling (BIM). The module concludes by raising awareness of digital citizenship and cyber-ethics, the ‘seduction of digital’, and potential digital futures.