Urban Upgrading for Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience in a time of Global Pandemics from edX

Unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic have presented huge challenges to a third of the global urban population living in slums around the world. The e-learning course “Urban Upgrading for Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience in a time of Global Pandemics” aims at supporting policy makers and urban practitioners to better respond to the challenge of slums, especially in a time of global pandemics. The course focuses on the conceptual and operational aspects of designing, implementing and sustaining a slum upgrading intervention, while underscoring the main policy and programmatic approaches at city level for scaling up upgrading and better planning for future growth.

What you'll learn

Specifically, at the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Understand urban slums, their underlying social, economic, and spatial characteristic, how they emerge and consolidate, and their impacts to local communities and the city as a whole
Analyze evolution of policy approaches to addressing urban slums under different contexts, what worked, what did not work, and why
Review and apply key operational principles and instruments for designing an upgrading intervention, including planning, finance, infrastructure, land tenure, housing, social inclusion, and sustainability.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand urban slums, their underlying social, economic, and spatial characteristic, how they emerge and consolidate, and their impacts to local communities and the city as a whole
Analyze evolution of policy approaches to addressing urban slums under different contexts, what worked, what did not work, and why

Review and apply key operational principles and instruments for designing an upgrading intervention, including planning, finance, infrastructure, land tenure, housing, social inclusion, and sustainability.

Understand urban slums, their underlying social, economic, and spatial characteristic, how they emerge and consolidate, and their impacts to local communities and the city as a whole
Analyze evolution of policy approaches to addressing urban slums under different contexts, what worked, what did not work, and why
Review and apply key operational principles and instruments for designing an upgrading intervention, including planning, finance, infrastructure, land tenure, housing, social inclusion, and sustainability.

Syllabus

Week 1: The Case for Upgrading __

How to articulate urban policies, institutional reforms, and spatially targeted interventions to better address existing and future slums.

Week 2: Planning Informal Settlement Upgrading __

How to plan upgrading interventions from a neighborhood project level to a city-wide scale. __

Week 3: Financing Informal Settlement Upgrading __

How to finance upgrading interventions, leveraging public, private and community resources and the role social enterprises play in servicing the poor.

Week 4: Improving Land Tenure __

How to increase tenure security in informal settlements incrementally, from protecting local communities from forced eviction towards formal land tenure rights.

Week 5: Upgrading Infrastructure __

How to design infrastructure improvement intervention in informal areas to improve accessibility, water and sanitation, drainage and erosion control, electrification and street lighting, as well as community facilities.

Week 6: Incremental Housing and Resettlement __

How to address shelter needs in informal areas, from managing voluntary resettlement in upgrading interventions to providing technical and financial support for housing improvements.

Week 7: Social Inclusion in Upgrading __

How to involve local communities during the design, implementation and post-occupation of upgrading projects, how to promote social development such as income generation, and how to integrate urban informal workers and their livelihoods in urban upgrading.

Week 8: Sustainability and Scaling Up __

How to ensure that investments are well-maintained during post-occupation phase and that upgrading is scaled up continuously.

Week 9: Managing Health Outbreaks in Slums __

How to apply a framework for action in urban upgrading to respond to the needs of the urban poor in the short, medium and long terms during and after a health outbreak.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Learn about how to best address the challenges of urban slums, which has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Understand the key principles for designing and implementing urban upgrading interventions

Gain insights into how to improve land tenure in informal settlements

Learn how to design infrastructure improvement interventions in informal areas

Get the knowledge to address shelter needs in informal areas

Understand how to involve local communities in upgrading projects

Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Urban Upgrading for Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience in a time of Global Pandemics. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Urban Upgrading for Inclusion, Sustainability and Resilience in a time of Global Pandemics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Social Worker

As a Social Worker, you provide support to individuals and families who are facing challenges, such as poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the social and economic factors that contribute to the development of urban slums.

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Urban Planner

As an Urban Planner, you are responsible for developing plans for urban areas, including the layout of streets, buildings, parks, and other infrastructure. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Community Organizer

As a Community Organizer, you work with community members to identify and address issues that are important to them. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the social and economic factors that contribute to the development of urban slums.

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City Manager

As a City Manager, you are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a city, including the provision of public services and infrastructure. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Environmental Engineer

As an Environmental Engineer, you design and implement solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution and climate change. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the environmental challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Policy Analyst

As a Policy Analyst, you research and analyze public policies, including those related to urban slums. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the policy challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Architect

As an Architect, you design and oversee the construction of buildings and other structures. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Public Health Nurse

As a Public Health Nurse, you provide health care and education to communities, including those living in urban slums. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the health challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Sociologist

As a Sociologist, you study human society and social behavior. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the social challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Real Estate Developer

As a Real Estate Developer, you acquire, develop, and manage real estate properties. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Economist

As an Economist, you study the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the economic challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Anthropologist

As an Anthropologist, you study human cultures and societies. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the cultural challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Construction Manager

As a Construction Manager, you oversee the construction of buildings and other structures. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Geographer

As a Geographer, you study the physical and human geography of the Earth. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the spatial challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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Demographer

As a Demographer, you study human populations, including their size, growth, and distribution. This course may be useful to you as it provides an understanding of the demographic challenges faced by urban slums and how to address them through upgrading interventions.

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