UNSW's world-leading researchers have created three new short courses sharing the latest evidence-based solutions to problems faced by modern cities.
The Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture is boosting its course offerings in the School of Built Environment with three short courses covering the latest research-driven solutions to problems of Urban Heat Management and new technologies available for improved modelling, problem-solving and decision-making.
The new courses, which are starting in October, are Managing Urban Heat, The Built Environment in 3D and Open Data Platforms & Licences for Cities.
Associate Professor Nick Apoifis, Director of Education, Innovation and Engagement for ADA says, “the courses are an accessible way for cutting-edge research to be shared with the relevant communities working in built environment, whether those be industry, local governments, or other stakeholders.”
Led by world-leading researchers from UNSW, including Associate Professor Philip Oldfield, Head of Built Environment, Associate Professor Lan Ding, Dr Matthew Ng at City Futures Research Centre and Professor Sisi Zlatanova, these new courses are designed to be flexible to your schedule and pace.
“The courses have been developed this year, and so are incredibly relevant as academics are able to share the most recent findings, up-to-date case studies and best-practice models. All this means participants can take what they learn into their unique professional contexts and disseminate the latest evidence-based understandings,” says A/Prof. Apoifis.
“As a university, our goal is to create opportunities for our world class researchers to share their expertise where it is needed most – which is with people working at the frontline of their fields.”
Climate change is an increasingly urgent problem for our society. “The impacts of urban heat vulnerability are acknowledged as a significant issue for the future of Australian cities across all levels of government,’ explains A/Prof. Ding of UNSW’s High Performance Architecture team. “The impacts include deaths and emergency admissions from heat waves, increased energy and water consumption, and equity issues for vulnerable populations.”
Managing Urban Heat has been developed by leading experts in the field of High Performance Architecture, including involvement with globally renowned Professor Matteos Santamouris. It covers the latest research on how climate is affecting urban environments, along with the newest methods and tools available to manage urban heat and create cooler, more livable cities.
Contemporary cities have grown extraordinarily complex and are described and analysed using an ever-increasing variety of social, economic and environmental data. The Built Environment in 3D course, created by Professor Sisi Zlatanova, teaches the fundamentals for understanding and using 3D spatial data when making planning and development decisions for cities. The ability to understand how to conceptualise problems using 3D data, run simulations and generate answers to what-if scenarios will be key to solving the problems faced by cities today. Upskilling around 3D spatial data’s uses and best-case practice is particularly relevant in the light of Australia’s state governments investment in Digital Twin technology.
Open data platforms allow policy makers, city planning professionals, property developers, researchers and others working on cities, access to an enormous amount of information about housing: from heritage designations to land use and valuations, and data pertaining to planning systems and regulations. The Open Data Platforms & Licences for Cities course will teach professionals how to use this data effectively to accelerate their policy making capability. Led by Dr Matthew Ng, the course creates a bridge between the latest research methodologies and those working at the frontlines of planning. “Open data holds immense potential for cities, empowering them to engage with citizens, improve public services, and drive sustainable development," says Dr Ng.
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