Course Description
"Cool Cities: Addressing Urban Heat" is an innovative, introductory-level course offered by WBGx that tackles one of the most pressing challenges of our time: rising urban temperatures. As climate change continues to impact our world, this course provides essential knowledge and strategies for creating heat-resilient cities. Drawing from the World Bank's comprehensive handbook, "Primer for Cool Cities: Reducing Urban Heat," this course equips learners with the tools to understand, address, and mitigate the effects of urban heat.
What Students Will Learn
- Understand the concept of urban heat and its importance in assessing city resiliency and sustainability.
- Explore technical solutions for passive urban cooling, including their benefits, costs, and implementation considerations.
- Learn how to develop and adopt urban cooling policies through inclusive, multi-stakeholder processes.
- Gain familiarity with the World Bank's Primer and other valuable resources for urban heat management.
- Analyze the impacts of rising temperatures on human health, economic productivity, and urban life.
- Develop strategies for improving heat resiliency in cities worldwide.
Pre-requisites
This course is designed for beginners and has no specific prerequisites. However, a basic understanding of environmental science, urban planning, or related fields may be beneficial.
Course Content
- Introduction to excessive heat and urban cooling
- Urban heat island phenomenon and its causes
- Negative effects of heat on urban systems and populations
- Technical passive and active urban cooling solutions
- Barriers to implementing urban cooling solutions
- Development of effective policies and programs for cooler cities
- Multi-stakeholder policy development processes
- Existing urban cooling policies from cities worldwide
- Financing urban cooling efforts
- Best practices and recommendations for cities
Who This Course Is For
- Urban planners and designers
- City officials and policymakers
- Environmental scientists and researchers
- Sustainability professionals
- Students in related fields
- Anyone interested in urban sustainability and climate resilience
Real-World Applications
- Developing heat-resilient urban planning strategies
- Implementing passive cooling solutions in city infrastructure
- Creating policies to mitigate urban heat island effects
- Improving public health outcomes in heat-stressed communities
- Enhancing economic productivity by reducing heat-related disruptions
- Designing sustainable and climate-adaptive urban spaces
- Collaborating with stakeholders to create comprehensive urban cooling programs
- Securing funding for urban heat mitigation projects
Syllabus
Week 1: Introduction to Excessive Heat and Urban Cooling
- Macro-trends driving urban heat
- Urban heat island phenomenon
- Heat's effects on urban systems and populations
Week 2: Technical Urban Cooling Solutions and Barriers to Implementation
- Passive and active urban cooling concepts
- Technical solutions for passive urban cooling
- Barriers to implementing cooling solutions in developed and developing worlds
Week 3: Policies and Programs for Cooler Cities
- Developing effective policies and programs
- Inclusive, multi-stakeholder policy development process
- Existing urban cooling policies worldwide
- Financing urban cooling efforts
Week 4: Summary Recommendations for Cities
- Good practices adopted by cities globally
- General recommendations for developing and implementing passive urban cooling solutions
- Strategies for effective urban cooling efforts
This comprehensive course on urban heat management and cool cities offers invaluable insights into one of the most critical challenges facing our urban centers. By addressing rising urban temperatures and providing practical solutions, this course empowers learners to contribute to creating more sustainable, resilient, and livable cities for the future.
