Are you interested in sustainability, urban wellness and inclusivity? Are you creative? Do you want to create change in cities? BE SMART! Learn how to make sense of the city using several forms of data analysis and modelling. And activate your insights to make cities of the future SMART, Sustainable and Inclusive. You will be active in a hands-on project so if you have a proactive attitude and you enjoy learning from other disciplines and countries, this minor is for you. 

Part 1 is an introduction of a week emphasizing the main challenges en getting acquainted with the working of the minor.

Part 2 is a period of cumulative two-week design sprints, every time with another part of the challenge as focus point resulting in the midterm presentation

Part 3 is a period in which students individually dig in to a subject of their choice, relating to the work in the first half of te minor, deepening out their research and design.

 

Different teaching modules will be offered during the first half of the semester to gain a basic understanding and knowledge on various disciplines.

·        Smart Design, Future Urban Systems and Sustainable Exploitation and Governance.

 

Two extra subjects are being offered during the semester. Both are important as part of the European Project Semester (EPS) – focusses on process of interdisciplinary and international teams

·        Project Management

·        Intercultural Sensitivity

 

Students in the minor develop a key competency: applying the insights gained from their study program in a multidisciplinary team for planning and designing urban interventions. This involves addressing design, environmental, energy, economic, and social issues related to impactful urban interventions. They demonstrate the capability to translate complex professional problems into clear requirements within their discipline, considering the needs of other disciplines. Additionally, students exhibit problem-solving skills within their discipline and integrate solutions using research, systems thinking, and modeling. They justify and explain principles and results to the design team, combining knowledge from various disciplines to create added value. Furthermore, they acquire the skills to use geographic information tools and define change strategies.

Open for all students in 3rd / 4th year of their bachelor.

 

Make sure that you are;

• Having finished 2 years of studies at BSc level.  
• Having an adequate proficiency in English to be able to cooperate with international colleagues and stakeholders.  
• Having a basic understanding of mathematics and statistics to be able to participate in analyzing statistical data and systems behavior.  
• Having a big affinity for the course topics

Course notes in each discipline

Open digital resources.

- Subscription digital resources freely available for HHS students.

- Software simulations

You will receive information about the schedule no later than a week before the start of the minor program. Please send an email to tis-minoren@hhs.nl if you haven't heard anything by then.

1 (individual) Knowledge part - 20% of total min. grade 5,5 (several individual assignments) vlog

2 (group) Project part 1  30% of total min. grade 5,5 research poster / mockup

3 (individual) Project part 2 (50% of total min. grade 5,5  research article / prototype)

 

Minimum of 80% attendance of lectures and group sessions. If absent, you can redo by writing a summary of the lecture missed.

All the data you collect must be shared in the database.

 

Planning of the testing (per partial test when applicable):

Regular test: midterm and final presentation week 7 to 18

Resit: individual assessment week 19/20 (this will account for the 100% of the module score)

 

Individual assignment: week 7

Midterm design and research assignment: week 7

Final design and literature review: final week

Target group

International and Dutch students from the program’s spatial development, architecture, civil engineering, building construction, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, technical business management, industrial design engineering and facility management, who are interested in urban challenges and complex problems. The minor is addressed to students with a proactive attitude and aiming to learn from other disciplines and cultures.

 

Teaching methods & division of study load

There is a realistic commissioning party from a group of stakeholders involved in “a wicked urban problem”.  

Students are coached on the process.

(2 coaches) and on subject content (one contact person

per discipline).

- Systems engineering and multidisciplinary design

methods are common themes that run throughout all

subjects.

- Three basic modules are given at the level of introductory

courses:

·        Smart Design

·        Future Urban Systems

·        Sustainable Exploitation and Governance

 

Specialization in each discipline is offered through the indepth

modules of the second semester phase.

 

The basic modules make use of blended learning. Part of the content is to be learned and assessed via short assignments digitally previous the lecture.

 

Total study-load: full-time minor. Since there will be a lot of guestlectures and excursions, we demand a full-time flexibility.

- Lectures/tutorials: 5-10 hours a week

- Project workshops, incl. excursions: 2-10 hours aweek

- Coaching: 1-5 hours a week (on Fridays)

- Group meetings / self-study: 10-20 hours per week

 

It is a full time minor where presence to all classes,

workshops and group work are compulsory.