COURSE DESCRIPTION
This doctoral-level course provides a comprehensive and critical examination of the principles, technologies, and practices of sustainable urban water systems and design. Students will explore the integrated management of urban water cycles, including water supply, stormwater, wastewater, and water-sensitive urban design (WSUD). Key topics include urban water system analysis, green and blue-green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, sponge city concepts, low-impact development, sustainable drainage systems, water reuse and recycling, and the governance and policy frameworks for implementing sustainable urban water solutions. The course integrates engineering, ecological, social, and economic perspectives to address contemporary urban water challenges such as flooding, water scarcity, pollution, and climate resilience.
COURSE TEACHING OBJECTIVES
- Analyze the components and interactions of urban water systems, including water supply, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure.
- Evaluate the principles of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD), including low-impact development (LID), sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), green infrastructure (GI), and sponge city concepts.
- Critically assess the design, performance, and co-benefits of green and blue-green infrastructure (BGI) and nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban water management.
- Examine the role of policy, governance, and economics in the transition toward integrated and sustainable urban water management.
- Apply systems thinking to develop integrated, climate-resilient, and circular water management solutions for diverse urban contexts.
COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the key challenges and drivers of sustainable urban water management.
- Design a water-sensitive urban system for a given site or catchment, incorporating appropriate green infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
- Critically evaluate the performance of green and gray infrastructure for managing stormwater quantity and quality.
- Assess the social, environmental, and economic benefits of integrated urban water management.
- Develop a policy and governance framework for transitioning toward water-sensitive cities.
Organization of Course Studies
The course will be completed through the external site/Coursera through the following link:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/water-governance-economics
Students will write a major paper after title approval.