Water Works: Activating Heritage for Sustainable Development
Source: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/water-works-activating-heritage-for-sustainable-development/ Parent: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/our-courses/architecture-and-urbanism/landscape-and-environment-design/
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- Analyze and visualize different water systems and explain their cultural importance and relevance.
- Determine the social and cultural attributes and societal value of water heritage over time and across space.
- Unpick the interdependencies and conflicting values and interests of the different stakeholders involved in creating water heritage systems.
- Navigate barriers caused by value conflicts among stakeholders in proposing solutions to the challenges water heritage and water systems are facing.
- Construct an SDG/HUL-based approach to decision-making in water systems for the benefit of all relevant stakeholders.
Free
- Type Course
- Location Online
- Pacing Starts anytime / Self-paced
- Length
For instructor paced courses this is the length of the course.
For self-paced courses this is the length of the course if you spend the amount of time per week as specified. You're free to go faster or slower as you see fit.
6 Weeks - Effort 4 - 5 Hours per week
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Address contemporary challenges from a socio-spatial and cultural perspective, and activate water heritage for decision-making in water management.
Water has served and sustained societies throughout history. Understanding the complex and diverse water systems of the past is key to devising sustainable development for the future with regard to socioeconomic structures, policies, and cultures. Today, past systems form the framework for preservation and reuse as well as for new proposals.
In this course, you will learn how to identify the spatial, social and cultural aspects of water heritage in your environment. You will investigate real situations, assess specific issues and evaluate the impact of potential measures, following existing expertise on water heritage and water management traditions as a model for your own practice.
By examining examples of water heritage from around the world, and by interacting with fellow learners, you will learn to implement globally sustainable approaches and tools such as the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Completing this course would be of great benefit to:
- professionals working in water management (such as water boards, water districts or port authorities etc.), heritage, or planning processes that include water related issues;
- master students of urban planning, architecture, heritage, or landscape;
- anyone living in a city or rural area where water management issues occur and with an interest in improving their living environment.
##### Learner Quotes
"I think this course was very useful and I learned great tools to analyze and approach different port cities. It highlighted certain factors and put them in context of this research field. This course gives a great foundation on how to approach the complex topic of port cities. It teaches a structured approach and gives the needed tools, connects the different aspects very well. All this in a non overwhelming way which is amazing." - Julia, Architectural Researcher from Germany
“It has provided me with valuable insights to think on how we can incorporate sustainable historic waterworks into our modern world. I needed such material to better understand the relevance of historic methods in today’s society.” - Tina Hadipoor, Architect from Iran - Details
##### Course Syllabus
In week 1, learners discover the complexities of water culture in daily life. By identifying different water systems in their own environment, learners will become aware that water is not only a basic need, but also a spatial network and a carrier of meaning, social values, and memories. By recalling their own experiences and memories with water, they will learn how waterscapes influence space, society, and culture.
In week 2, through exploring different historical water systems, learners will assess how societies in the past and present have valued water. They will learn about the spatial imprint of historic water systems, their change over time and their relation to institutional and cultural practices. Learners will be asked to research the history of their own case study waterwork, and its functional and spatial development over time.
In week 3, learners recognize which stakeholders and groups are important in the creation of water systems in the past and in the present. They learn how these stakeholders relate to each other and what shared or conflicting interests they have, then apply this analysis to their own case study.
In week 4, learners discover the challenges that waterworks are facing, as they identify dualities of water and culture, and differentiate between values, needs and interests in water systems. In addition, they learn to distinguish conflicts of values among different stakeholders, across different cultures and institutional levels in contemporary society.
In week 5, learners analyze sustainable solutions and strategies for water systems. They are introduced to the UNESCO HUL method, as an integrated approach connecting global and local contexts. Learners will also engage with water heritage in line with sustainable developments through examples that implement this approach. Having been inspired by the solutions and approaches, learners will be asked to look into their own local cases for local initiatives.
##### Other instructor
Hilde Sennema\ PhD candidate\ Rotterdam University - Qualifications
##### Chartered Engineering Competences
All our online courses and programs have been matched to the competences determined by KIVI’s Competence Structure, a common frame of reference for everyone, across all disciplines, levels and roles.
These competences apply to this course:
- A1: Extend your theoretical knowledge of new and advancing technologies.
- E3: Undertake engineering activities in a way that contribute to sustainable development and circular economy.
- Admission
This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that runs on edX.
- Course format: MOOC
This course is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Our MOOCs are delivered on edX.org and are open to all. They include video lectures, readings, assignments, and community discussions. Content is free, with optional certificates and additional exercises available for a fee.
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What our learners say about us
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It helped me see the importance of integrating heritage with environmental solutions.
Ahmed Adas - Palestine
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