Placemaking and Public Space Design: Unlocking Place Potential (FutureLearn)

If you’re interested in learning more about climatic impacts and opportunities in urban planning, this two-week course from Luleå University of Technology is for you.
Explore the urban microclimate impact

On this course, you’ll take a close look at how design policy and academic research influences best practice in urban and climatic design.

The training materials will give you a good foundation in placemaking for sustainable tourist destinations and residential spaces, helping you analyse (and then maximise) place potential.
Study placemaking and microclimates in a structured way

The course explores three key themes, laying them out simply and giving you a clear understanding of how microclimates and urban areas interact.

You’ll start by learning about planning policy frameworks for urban design, from international agreements to local policies, followed by in-depth lessons on the theoretical underpinnings that help shape successful places.

Finally, you’ll get to apply what you’ve learned to case studies involving a variety of locations, each with its own climatic and urban design needs.
Learn urban planning from seasoned professionals

With a wealth of experience and expertise in industrial engineering and management, Luleå University of Technology is able to provide great support to anyone enrolled and studying with them.

The lead educator also has extensive knowledge on project management, process management, and problem-based learning. With such high standards, you can expect an equally impressive placemaking course.

Syllabus

Week 1: Contextualising urban design and micro-climate

Week 2: Best practice in urban design and micro-climatic design

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Describe how successful public spaces contribute to sustainable development.

- Explain how urban planning influences climate change.

- Explain how policy and research influence best practice in urban and climatic design.

- Improve the local micro-climate of public space to enhance human comfort through case studies.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in placemaking within the tourism industry, at any education level. Individuals considering this career path and professionals who want to upskill will both gain valuable insights.