integrated approach to the ‘sustainable development’ concept in urban planning education:
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German Commission for UNESCO International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility of the Nottingham University Business School Copernicus Alliance The “Higher Education“ Working Group of the UN Decade in Germany (AG Hochschule). - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
International HESD Conference, Luneburg, September 14-16, 2011 1
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE ‘SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT’ CONCEPT
IN URBAN PLANNING EDUCATION: A BULGARIAN PATH
ElenaDimitrovaDepartment of Urban Planning, Faculty of
Architecture, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering & Geodesy, Sofia
German Commission for UNESCOInternational Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility of the Nottingham University Business
SchoolCopernicus Alliance
The “Higher Education“ Working Group of the UN Decade in Germany (AG Hochschule)
4th International Conference on Higher Education for Sustainable Development, September 14-16, 2011, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
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ISSUES TO DISCUSS
Planning education for sustainable development (SD) in context
The ‘sustainable development’ topic in the Programme in Urbanism at UACEG, Sofia
The partnership challenge Education effectiveness: evaluating what
and how? Lessons learned: SD education success
factors
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PLANNING EDUCATION FOR SD DEVELOPMENT: peculiarities and contextual aspects
Urban Planning is: A border area between technical, social, cultural,
political, managerial considerations Integrating a broader range of key SD issues and
competences Requires action-oriented professional knowledge
and skills Contextually sensitive – ways of life, value
systems, economic frameworks
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THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT: planning education challenges
Education of professionals for SD is about: Enhancing awareness/ appreciation about the importance
and urgency of the concept Accumulation of knowledge – theoretical and practical Developing critical thinking and creative abilities Building self-confidence and motivation for action
Needed capacities comprise: Specific knowledge and skills within the professional field Ability to integrate technical, social, humanitarian and
natural sciences.
Education for SD is not a linear process
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BULGARIA in European process and space
below 30
30 – 40
40 – 50
50 – 75
75 – 100
100 – 125
above 125
Regional differences in GDP
EU 27 index = 100
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POST-SOCIALIST BULGARIAN CITIES: changing urban context
Urban management – decentralization, changes in land ownership, quality decrease in urban services; inadequacy of legislation and normative basis; emergence of the civil sector.
Urban way of life – higher living standards and mobility in some social groups, broader market opportunities social stratification an spatial segregation.
Urban planning – emerging focus on strategic and integrated planning, EU influence – funding schemes and programmes, lack of experience in coordinating strategic and operational planning.
Urban structures – new urban development, densification, pressure on public green space, urban sprawl.
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Sofia: urban transformations and urban
images 2009
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SOFIA: INCREASED URBAN MOBILITY urban processes and urban values
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SOFIA: BUILDING PRESSUREhousing in the periphery
Increasing market pressure in fashionable residential quarters, 20007
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11
The Students’ town, a new residential building on restituted land, 2000s
SOFIA 2000s: planning effects of urban land restitution
The Students’ town, student hostels from
1980s
Building permits (red contours) on public urban greenery (restituted urban land) in housing estates04/21/23
12
BULGARIAN PLANNING SYSTEM: tasks and challenges
Re-thinking existing plans Developing new planning instruments; Building institutional capacity Involving new actors in new types of interactions Building a relevant information database
Acting within extremely dynamic urban processes Dealing with competing/conflicting demands Providing for transparency of the planning process
04/21/23
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SD EDUCATION in the programme in URBANISM at UACEG
Programme development: BSc since 2002 (TEMPUS result), MSc since 2006;
Structure of the SD teaching modules: SD1 (compulsory) in Year 1, sem.2; SD2 (optional) in Year 2, sem.3
Principles of the educational approach Introducing the SD concept from the very beginning; Providing basic professional knowledge alongside with
stimulating intellectual curiosity and ethical debate; Linking theory (SD1) to local municipal practice (SD2); Linking educational activities to ongoing research and
practice projects, case-study based approach
04/21/23 14
SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN SPACE
Pressure on the environment
Quality of life
Use of resources, energy and territory
Waste generation
Health aspectsEconomic aspectsSocial and sociocultural aspectsAspects of physical environment
Sustainable development criteria
Social and cultural
dimensions
Technical and economic dimensions
Temporal dimensions
Spatial dimensions
EFFECTIVENESS • of resource use• of consumption
ACCESSIBILITY • of resources• of products
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SD1 MODULE Topic 1: The sustainable development idea
Educational messages Information sources, didactic materials
Type of communication in seminars
It is about Life and the Earth - a lasting relationship in history with philosophical and cultural dimensions.
The film of Baraka (Fricke, 1992)
no immediate comment; a written essay
It happens here and now – it is urgent, everything matters, everyone is responsible.
The Ecological Footprint Quiz (Redefining Progress, 2002)
On-line filled in and sent back; seminar discussion.
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SD1 MODULE Topic 2: The theoretical discourse and the political process
Educational messages Information sources, didactic materials
communication in seminars
It is an ongoing debate There are many voices to hear and respect (South–North and East-West). Find out your own arguments.
Rio Summit documents,
Global Vision interviews;
Kyoto Protocol
Individual reporting and discussions
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SD1 MODULE Topic 3: Spatial aspects of sustainability
Educational messages Information sources, didactic
materials
Communication in seminars
Urban space is the stage where human development happens - the city is an ecosystem; the city is a cultural process; the city as a complex technical system.
Cities,People,Planet(Girardet, 2004) COST C8 and C11 Individual
reports and group discussions on case studies
Spatial planning is a chance to influence (yet not predefine) social and cultural processes.
EU documents in spatial planning
The professional responsibilities – making decision making transparent and understandable; addressing complexity and interdisciplinarity.
Indicators, GIS applications; International research;
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SD 1 MODULE Topic 4: The interdisciplinarity challenge
Educational messages Information sources, didactic materials
communication in seminars
Energy efficiency - interrelatedness of dimensions; the importance of international cooperation
Bulgarian EcoEnergy network
A simulation game to outline actors and conflicts;Individual reports; Group discussions on problems and solutions.
Urban Health and relation to urban equity
The Healthy Cities Project
Waste management – issues of urban metabolism and governance
The case of Sofia; EU experience
Tourism development – social impacts, the role of action research
The case of Bansko ski resort, Pirin mountain, Bulgaria
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SD 2 MODULE in the BSc in Urbanism Programme
SD2 module contents: 9 case studies developed in the period 2003/04-2010/11
Topics addressed: modes of use of public green space / potentials and
conflicts; tourism development strategies; chances to take under economic restructuring (small
mining settlements); SD in Bulgarian peripheral / border regions. the preservation/ development balance
Number of participating students: 5 to 14 Team working
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SD II MODULE : Linking Theory to Practice (1)
Topic Case study Partnership with Issues focused upon
Public urban space
Berkovitsa FP5 PETUS Project, Municipality
Development alternatives for a square and a town park undergoing changes as a result of restitution and privatization.
Gabrovo and Dobrich
FP5 PETUS Project, Municipality
Modes of use of public urban green space; existing capacity to implement EU evaluation tools for urban sustainability
Vrabnitsa, Sofia
AU-BG research project, Administrative unit
Governance approaches to the development potential of empty urban spaces
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SD II MODULE: Linking Theory to Practice (2)
Topic Case study
Partnership with
Issues focused upon
Challenges of post-industrial development
Tvarditsa READY project, INTERREG IIIB
Development opportunities for small monofunctional mining settlements
Belovo Municipality Development potential and strategic alternatives
Lucki Municipality,Local NGO
Economic restructuring and underestimated local development potential
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SD II MODULE : Linking Theory To Practice (3)
Topic Case study Partnership with Issues focused upon
Strategies forTourism development
Samokov Municipality Comparative analysis of two modes of tourism development
Development in peripheral regions
Ivaylovgrad
Municipality,Local cultural centre, Youth NGO
Overcoming weaknesses of sparsely populated peripheral territories- aspects of mobility, waste management and cultural identity
Mobility and demand responsive traffic
Razlog MMOVE, INTERREG IVC, municipality, consultancy company
The transfer and applicability of European good practices in spatial planning and management – demand responsive public transport, parking, cycling paths
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‘SD’ PARTNERSHIPS: The ‘SD Team’ of the Programme
A flexible network of people – professionals and citizens - who share the idea that:
The Earth is more than a sum of resources to manage and utilise – it should be respected;
Quality of life is measured by the chances provided for creative action and spiritual development;
Facing SD challenges requires professional competence but also sensitivity to development ethics and environmental justice.
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‘SD’ PARTNERSHIPS within the educational field
UACEG - the academic staff at the Faculty of Architecture;
TEMPUS Joint European Projects (JEP) –universities from UK, Ireland, Italy, etc.
AESOP (Association of European Schools of Planning) EESD (Engineering Education for sustainable
development) ERASMUS Programme – students from France,
Austria and Spain Colleagues from TU-Vienna – Sozopol project A PhD student from Algeria
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‘SD’ PARTNERSHIPS with research
Bulgarian National Science Fund –late 1990s;
FP5, PETUS Project, 2002-2005, 8 European partner institutions
ASO-Sofia (Austrian Federal Ministry of Science) - Austrian-Bulgarian research cooperation, BOKU, Vienna, 2005-2006
COST Action C20 (The Urban Knowledge Arena), 2005-2009
University Research budget, 2009, 2011
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‘SD’ PARTNERSHIPS with Bulgarianplanning practice and governance
Bulgarian municipalities - still limited local expertise and urgency of the requirement to meet EU standards;
General appreciation of the potential benefit of the partnership;
Building trust is sometimes a long process; Most effective partnerships are built where
research funding was also available.
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‘SD’ PARTNERSHIPS with the NGO sector
The NGO sector is a newly developing one in the country, estimated need for expert support
Eneffect - Centre for Energy Efficiency– specialized, national and international level;
Scouts’ Land, local youth NGO, Lucki municipality
ZAEDNO – Communication for Support and Development Foundation, solidarity actions, NGO networking through Internet
Green School Village – sustainable development in rural areas through changing personal way of life .
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THE ‘STUDENTS-TEACHERS’ PARTNERSHIP
Supportive and reliable, eager to invent Enthusiastically searching and/or critical to
approaches and results, insisting on : “More time for contacts” “Teachers listening longer to our opinion”
Estimation of important factors (both beginners and advanced ones): Direct contacts with real-life places and actors Relating visions to reality Proving the relevance of the professional intervention Team working
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PARTNERSHIP ETHICS: lessons learned
In building lasting partnerships it proves important to be: PROACTIVE in identifying and approaching potential
allies and partners; HONEST about the vision/strategy proposed and about
the expectations on support and benefits; DIALOGICAL – open to criticism and respectful to
differences in points of view; PATIENT in building common language and trust; SELF-REFLECTIVE on current results FOCUSED ON PRIORITIES while keeping OPEN-
MINDED to a broad horizon and a long-term perspective.
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PLANNING EDUCATION FOR SD: Evaluating what and how?
Evaluate what Awareness about the SD concept Professional capacity for analytical and integrative
approaches Communication skills Personal attitude and motivation for action
Evaluate how Direct feedback – exams, surveys, interviews Indirect feedback – course and diploma works, further
professional development Evaluation results
positive indications; identified shortcomings need for more in-depth analyses
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Lucky project, SD2 module, 2008/09:in partnership with Scouts’ Land NGO
Discussing development alternatives after the mine closes down: photo tourism, biological agriculture, teleworking, green school
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LUCKY PROJECT, SD2 module, 2008: students’ estimation of project results
Question: What were the three most important things you learned from this project?
“We came to know a marvellous place and I hope we could contribute to a better future for its inhabitants”
“Team working – I came to be more patient and self-content” “How such a small settlement could reveal a development
potential in so diverse and interesting aspects” “Everything is possible when there are people willing to do it” “I could contribute to a sustainable mode of existence”
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And something more …
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SOZOPOL PROJECT, 2007/2008: Between preservation & development
MSc Programme in Urbanism
One-year long educational project,
In partnership with TU-Vienna
Jointly with specialised modules in ICZM and in Integrated Planning
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Partners:
Department of Urban planning, Centre of Regional Planning and Development, TU-Vienna;
Department of Urban planning, UACG, Sofia
Participants: 14 students from UACG, Sofia, 11 students from TU-Vienna (Austria, Italy, Turkey) from the fields of urban planning and architecture, working in 4 international teams.
Project aim: to investigate the possibilities for real-life action concerning:
Investigation on forms of EU and national funding; Various actors’ responsibilities in the process of self-organization, Arenas of dialogue, interaction and partnership – needed and possible
ones; Required new knowledge and skills.
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TEAM А: “SOZOPOL ARENA 2020+”
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TEAM B: “BUILDING THE SOZOPOL-PRIMORSKO REGION AND THE LEADER+ PROGRAMME”
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TEAM С: “FREE HORIZON”
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TEAM D: “A RECIPEE FOR A TASTY MUNICIPALITY”
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STUDENTS’ ESTIMATION OF PROJECT RESULTS: Sozopol International Project, 2008
Question: What was the most inspiring moment in this project?
“Any moment when I realised I was capable of doing things, and my colleagues were capable as well; any moment when I was able to realise that there is a sense in doing things – and most of all, any moment when I had the need - and not the obligation - to go ahead. This last one was - at least for me – a completely new feeling.”
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SD2, BSc in Urbanism winter semester, 2009/2010
Links the educational process to an ongoing NGO project on sustainable regional development – funded by an international organization after a competition;
The project was developed and submitted by current and ex-students of the Programme in Urbanism at UACG
IVAYLOVGRAD PROJECT, 2009/10:a value based approach (1)
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IVAYLOVGRAD MUNICIPALITY: past and present
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IVAYLOVGRAD MUNICIPALITY: past and present
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IVAYLOVGRAD MUNICIPALITY: past and present
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IVAYLOVGRAD project: the initiators
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THE UNIVERSITY IN THE PROCESS
Content analysis: answers to 4 questions
What do you like best in your town?
What do you like least?
What do you what to be changed ?
What would you do to change it?
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Do you like living here?
What traditions have you kept alive?
How do you spend your free time?
What would you show to a visitor?
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IVAYLOVGRAD PROJECT:building on social capital
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BSc in Urbanism Diploma work
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MSc in Urbanism Diploma workThe student town in Sofia
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04/21/23 NTUA, April 2011, ERASMUS Exchange Programme 54
MSc diploma work, 2011: Gabrovo Municipality spatial development concept
04/21/23 NTUA, April 2011, ERASMUS Exchange Programme 55
MSc diploma work, 2011: Gabrovo Municipality spatial development concept
04/21/23 NTUA, April 2011, ERASMUS Exchange Programme 56
MSc diploma work, 2011: Gabrovo Municipality spatial development concept
04/21/23 NTUA, April 2011, ERASMUS Exchange Programme 57
MSc diploma work, 2011: Gabrovo Municipality spatial development concept
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PLANNING EDUCATION FOR SD: success factors
INTERPRETING REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS – learning about the complexity of problems and the variety of conflicts, stimulating motivation for action
LINKING EDUCATION TO ACTION RESEARCH - methodological support
BUILDING UPON INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION situating local processes into a broader context, building awareness about peculiarities and common trends
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Initiated RESEARCH on the SD educational process in UACEG: on SD education in Architecture, 2008/09; on integrated educational approach to sustainable urban development issues; 2009/10)
RESEARCH FINDINGS Growing number of disciplines in the curriculum addressing SD issues Lack of common SD message and educational strategy in the
University and largely uncovered border areas between disciplines Lack of structured debate on integral SD education; Low awareness about SD among 1st year students
RESEARCH PROPOSALS Development of integrated database on selected case-studies; Definition of case-study selection criteria, contents and structure to
promote interdisciplinary dialogue; Integral methodology of addressing SD issues at different educational
stages
PLANNING EDUCATION FOR SD: challenges to face
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BUILDING A NEW PROFESSIONAL CULTURE sensitive to the priority and urgency of the SD concept needs time and persistency - and continual efforts in developing alliances around it.
THE SD MESSAGE needs to provide space for individual value choices and contextual interpretation of priorities.
ACHIEVING VISIBLE REAL-LIFE CHANGE is crucial in building students’ self-confidence about the effectiveness of the efforts;
LONG-LASTING EFFECTS OF EDUCATION are that matter as they provide a new capacity for crossing borders - both in professional and cultural fields.
CONCLUSION
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THANK YOU!
Questions, comments
and ideas about future collaboration
are very welcome at