20773 - ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION
Department of Social and Political Sciences
EDOARDO CROCI
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
CONTENT SUMMARY
Sustainable urban regeneration can be defined as “regeneration actions, policies and processes within a city, which address interrelated technical, spatial and socio-economic problems in order to reduce environmental impact, mitigate environmental risk, and improve environmental quality of urban systems, lifestyles and assets” (URBACT, 2015). Urban regeneration can trigger and contribute to a sustainable urban development, provided that sustainability is deeply and fully integrated into the design, management, financing, monitoring and operation of urban regeneration projects, with the overall aim to create value for the private sector, for society at large and for the environment.
Students will acquire and apply the latest knowledge of the ESG issues involved in regenerating urban areas. Furthermore, specific case studies of urban regeneration at the global level will be analysed to individuate policy models and business models delivering successful urban regeneration. The course will provide students with the ability to contribute to sustainable urban regeneration processes operating for a variety of private and public actors which will be involved also through project works and testimonies.
The course is structured into teaching modules.
1. The growing role of sustainable urban regeneration
A multidisciplinary approach
Definition of sustainable urban regeneration
Trends and scenarios
2. Global urbanization trends: the future of urbanization and megacities
Worldwide urbanization dynamics
Demographic factors of urbanization
Urbanization and migration
3. Sustainable development: the key role of cities
Role of cities in the global context
Drivers and challenges of urban sustainability
4. The global framework
Agenda 2030 and SDG 11
The new urban agenda
Towards a new European Bauhaus
Driving urban transition
5. Urban Regeneration processes
Key phases of urban regeneration processes
New functions and services in the work and living places: a post Covid approach
6. Worldwide urban regeneration projects
New paradigms for sustainable urban regeneration projects
International cases of urban regeneration processes
7. Sustainability in urban regeneration
ESG approach
Land reclamation and land consumption aspects
A circular economy perspective: circular and regenerative cities
8. Towards climate neutral cities
Environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change in cities
Cities’ action for the low carbon transition: strategies for climate change mitigation
Vulnerability and resilience to climate change
9. Urban nature and its functions
Nature-based solutions at the urban scale
Ecosystem services in urban contexts and their valuation
Policies for nature protection: Payments for ecosystem services applications
10. Urban regeneration policies
Urban planning instruments
Regulatory instruments (i.a. standards, codes, etc.)
Economic instruments (i.a. taxes, incentives, development rights transfer and market)
A selection of case studies
11. Value chain of urban regeneration projects
Lifecycle of urban regeneration projects
Main private and public actors involved
Value creation mechanisms in urban regeneration projects
Innovative business and financial models
Risk allocation in urban regeneration projects
12. The contribution of urban regeneration to Smart City dimensions
Digital city
Smart energy and smart mobility
Inclusive and diverse city
13. Protocols and standards for urban sustainable regeneration projects
Existing protocols to account for sustainability at building, district and city level
Sectorial certification standards for energy, water, waste, green (e.g. LEED, BREEAM, WELL, GRESB, etc.)
Sustainable management of urban regeneration projects
Indicators to evaluate sustainability of urban regeneration projects
14. Stakeholders involvement and co-design processes in sustainable urban regeneration
Rationale for stakeholders involvement in urban regeneration
Methods to map and identify key stakeholders of urban regeneration projects
Forms of stakeholders involvement: from information to active participation
Approaches, mechanisms and tools for stakeholders involvement and co-design
15. Asset management dimension of urban regeneration projects
The impact of urban regeneration projects on asset management
The relationship between project and asset management over the requalification steps
The value of sustainability in asset management
16. Asset valuation in urban regeneration projects
International standard of valuation: RICS, IVS, UNI
Role of the appraiser
Purpose of the valuation: acquisition, financing, reporting
Valuation methods: comparative, income based, transformation, reconstruction cost
Ordinary assumption and special assumptions
The impact of sustainability on valuation
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to:
· Understand the role of cities in global dynamics, the main social, environmental and economic challenges that cities are facing and the main drivers of sustainable urban development
· Identify and assess the main elements of sustainable urban regeneration projects, considering their impact on air, water and soil and the solutions based on an efficient use of natural resources, enhancing circularity and resilience
· Evaluate the key phases, actors and mechanisms that operate in urban regeneration projects to create value
· Understand the functioning and dynamics of real estate markets
· Appraise the main funding and financial instruments to support urban regeneration projects
· Learn about the main protocols and standards to certify and account for the sustainability of urban regeneration projects
· Learn about the approaches, mechanisms and tools to involve urban stakeholders in urban regeneration projects and promote co-design
· Assess the role of sustainability in asset management and evaluation of urban regeneration projects
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to
· Define and populate urban sustainability indicators following international standards
· Assess the key elements of sustainable urban regeneration processes
· Valuate the private and social impacts of urban regeneration projects
· Define plans and policies for sustainable urban regeneration
· Define and assess business models for sustainable urban regeneration
· Apply international protocols and standards for sustainable interventions
· Apply international standards for asset valuation
Teaching methods
- Face-to-face lectures
- Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
- Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
- Group assignments
- Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
DETAILS
Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
Designers, developers, and investors involved in iconic world wide urban regeneration projects will give talks on their experience
Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
Case studies of urban regeneration will be analysed in class in order to assess the economic, environmental and social dimensions
Group assignments
Group assignments will be provided in class to discuss approaches, methodologies and tools to develop and evaluate urban regeneration projects and processes. A project work will be developed along the whole course to apply relevant knowledge and instruments
Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
Interactive activities will support the advancement of the course, in particular, through simulation of stakeholder behaviours in new and planned urban regeneration projects
Assessment methods
Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
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ATTENDING STUDENTS
Partial (20%) and final written exam (50%) aim to assess the level of appraisal related to economic, social and environmental evaluation of urban regeneration projects and processes, business and financial models in real estate markets, standards and indicators appliable to urban regeneration. The ability to apply ESG criteria to sustainable urban regeneration will be also assessed.
Group assignment (30%): students will carry on a group project work along the whole course, analysing specific successful urban regeneration projects dialoguing with planners, designers, developers and other relevant stakeholders and analysing economic, social and environmental performances under the supervision of the teacher. Business models for sustainable urban regeneration will be assessed and, specific indicators will be defined and populated in order to assess and evaluate urban regeneration project impacts following an integrated sustainability approach.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The evaluation is entirely based on the final written exam.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be communciated at the beginning of the course