URBD5735
Environmental Design for Liveable and Healthy Cities
Target Students MArch1, MArch 2, MSUD
Course Term 2
Course Type Elective
Teacher(s) LAU, Sunnie
In a time of unprecedented global challenges, the need for researchers and designers to address sustainability and biodiversity has rarely been more obvious. As the world is becoming increasingly aware of the impact of ongoing urbanisation and resource consumption on our fragile ecosystems, human and planetary health, there is a renewed urgency to explore insights and solutions around sustainable urban environmental design. While there is a wide range of sustainability initiatives, these often focus on single systems in isolation. There is a lack of approaches that consider the overall environmental performance of urban areas, and how these shape everyday urban processes and activities, and quality of life.
This course is aimed at providing a comprehensive and multidisciplinary understanding of sustainable and environmental design, by gathering and connecting a wide range of contemporary perspectives from academia and practice. Organised as a series of lectures and site visits by a range of disciplinary experts, the course exposes students to the latest research, project examples and policy initiatives aimed at improving the economic, social and environmental sustainability of urban environments.
Building off the International Forum on Urbanism [IFoU] winter school in 2025 around the topic for the future imagination of the Santin Area of Hong Kong, and in conjunction with URBD 5735 - Environmental Design for Liveable and Healthy Cities course, the “Between Development And Biodiversity” symposium expands further to rethinking what could be a balanced approach for sustaining development and biodiversity in Hong Kong and beyond.
The future of living depends on balancing development and biodiversity through sustainable practices that integrate nature into urban planning and infrastructure. By adopting Nature-based Solutions, green urban planning, biodiversity offsetting, sustainable construction, and strong governance, cities can mitigate environmental harms while improving resilience, quality of life, and economic sustainability. Successful examples, such as Singapore’s "City in Nature" vision and Hong Kong’s blue-green infrastructure projects, demonstrate how innovative approaches like rewilding, smart technologies, and community engagement can harmonize growth with ecosystem preservation and fortification. This balanced approach ensures thriving, resilient communities that coexist with nature, securing a sustainable and equitable future.
