Urban Ecology
Code: 45788Credits: 5
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability | OP | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Johannes Langemeyer
- Email :
- johannes.langemeyer@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Carles Gasol Martinez
- Svetlana Khromova
- David Alejandro Camacho Caballero
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge is required.
Objectives
The students will gain a critical understanding of challenges embedded in planetary urbanization processes and get sensitized for potentials and limitations in designing assessing, planning and designing more sustainable, resilient and just cities. Students will get introduced to core (boundary) concepts, such as green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, urban metabolism, urban agriculture and circular economy, and cutting-edge methodological approaches for the assessment, planning and design of urban environments from a regional to site scale, including big-data analysis, co-creation and stakeholder engagement processes, industrial ecology tools applied in cities as well as integrated multi-criteria decision analysis.
Learning outcomes
- (CA39) Analyse complex socio-environmental problems in urban environments, considering the interaction between ecological, economic, and social systems.
- (CA40) Work effectively in an interdisciplinary context to address complex urban sustainability challenges.
- (CA41) Propose measures to reduce socio-environmental inequalities in the development and planning of sustainable cities.
- (KA39) Define key concepts of urban ecology such as urban sustainability, resilience, vulnerability, environmental justice, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions and ecosystem services.
- (KA40) Relate the concepts of socio-ecological-technological systems, urban metabolism, circular economy and industrial ecology with the study of cities.
- (KA41) Describe the foundations of urban agriculture and its role in the sustainability of cities.
- (SA37) Apply tools and methodologies such as spatial analysis, environmental modelling and multi-criteria assessment for the environmental improvement of cities.
- (SA38) Critically select methods for valuing ecosystem services to apply them to urban planning and management issues, involving citizens and other agents.
Contents
| Date | Topic | Professor |
| 02/02/2027 | Global challenges in the face of planetary urbanization: Why urban ecology matters | Prof Dr Johannes Langemeyer (ICTA-UAB) |
| 09/02/2027 | Urban metabolism: an industrial ecology perspective of cities | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 16/02/2027 | Urban metabolism: an industrial ecology perspective in the city of Barcelona | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 23/02/2027 | From waste to resources. The circularity of construction materials | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 02/03/2027 | Eco-innovation in public space and cities: Ecodesign of urban furniture | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 09/03/2027 | Sustainable cities and circular economy: building rehabilitation | Field visit: the case of La Fàbrica del Sol (Barcelona) | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 16/03/2027 | Circular neighbourhoods and third-sector enterprises with circular business models | field visit: Bon Pastor (Barcelona) | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 30/03/2027 | Urban agriculture | Prof. Dr. Carles Gasol (DEQBA-UAB) |
| 06/04/2027 | The values of nature in cities: Urban ecosystem services | Prof Dr Johannes Langemeyer (ICTA-UAB) |
| 13/04/2027 | From surveys to big data: An overview of methods to assess urban ecosystem services | Prof Dr Johannes Langemeyer (ICTA-UAB) |
| 20/04/2027 | Navigating urban complexity: Concepts and integrated assessment approaches | Dr David Camacho Cabarello (ICTA-UAB) |
| 27/04/2027 | Environmental justice in urban environments | Dr David Camacho Cabarello (ICTA-UAB) |
| 04/05/2027 | Compound Risks and Polycrisis: Cascading Hazards, Systemic Vulnerability, and the Limits of the Tools Built to Address Them | Dr Svetlana Khromova (ICTA-UAB) |
| 11/05/2027 | The socio-ecological-digital reality of cities: Fostering more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities in the digital age | Prof Dr Johannes Langemeyer (ICTA-UAB) |
| 18/05/2027 | Closing Session: Q&A with the class coordinator, general reflection, feedback and discussion, possibilities for collaborations | Prof Dr Johannes Langemeyer (ICTA-UAB) |
| 08/06/2027 | Exam |
|
| 15/06/2027 | Exam retake |
|
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Class preparation, including readings and oral presentations | 78 | 3.12 | CA39, CA40, CA41, KA39, KA40, KA41, SA37, SA38 |
| Type: Guided | |||
| Classes | 28 | 1.12 | CA39, CA40, CA41, KA39, KA40, KA41, SA37, SA38 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Oral presentations, tests, exam | 15 | 0.6 | CA39, CA40, CA41, KA40, SA38 |
The course combines lectures, student presentations, discussion, and field-based learning. Classes involving student presentations will follow an inverse teaching approach, in which students prepare selected contents in advance and use class time for presentation, discussion, and critical reflection. The course also includes two field visits to connect theoretical concepts with practical examples in the urban context.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 50% | 2 | 0.08 | CA39, CA40, CA41, KA39, KA40, KA41, SA37, SA38 |
| Four short multiple-choice tests | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | CA39, CA41, KA40, KA41 |
| Oral presentation, group work | 30% | 1 | 0.04 | CA39, CA40, CA41, KA39, KA40, SA37, SA38 |
E1: Four short multiple-choice tests (4 × 5% = 20%)
E2: Oral presentation, group work (30%)
E3: Final exam, individual (50%)
The four short multiple-choice tests (E1) and the group oral presentation (E2) will take place throughout the course and form part of the continuous assessment. These activities will assess students’ progressive acquisition and application of the course contents, their analytical and synthesis skills, and the quality of their oral communication.
The individual final exam (E3) will assess students’ individual understanding of the course contents, their ability to develop arguments, and their integration of the knowledge acquired throughout the course.
Final grade = E1 grade × 0.20 + E2 grade × 0.30 + E3 grade × 0.50
To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 in each assessment component. Attendance is compulsory; repeated absences may result in failing the course. Students who do not complete the oral presentation will not be eligible to take the final exam.
Resit system
Students who obtain a grade between 2.5 and <5 in the short tests (E1) and/or the final exam (E3) will be allowed to take a resit assessment. This assessment may be conducted in written or oral form. Due to its practical nature, the oral presentation (E2) cannot be retaken. Students who do not complete the oral presentation will not be eligible to take the resit assessment.
Honours
A Matrícula de Honor (MH) may be awarded to students with a final grade of 9.0 or higher. The number of MH distinctions awarded may not exceed 5% of the students enrolled in the course. If fewer than 20 students are enrolled, only one MH may be awarded.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, including the unacknowledged use of other people’s ideas, texts, data, or materials, is not permitted. All sources must be appropriately cited. Cases of plagiarism will be handled according to the university’s academic integrity regulations.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI tools may be used to support learning and improve the presentation of work, but they must not replace the student’s own analysis, reasoning, or authorship. Students remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and content of any submitted work. The use of AI must always be acknowledged.
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Software
| No specific requirements |
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | English | second semester | afternoon |