Climate-Resilient Cities and Communities

Description

This course is designed for the catalogue of "Lifelong Learning Initiatives" of the PNRR Project of the Innovation Ecosystem "NODES – Digitable and Sustainable North West”, in particular for the subjects of Spoke 4.
This module aims at introducing how the emerging concept of urban resilience relates to vulnerability and sustainability science, and how to handle the bridges between multidisciplinary theories on urban resilience and potential implementations. Starting with an alignment among similar and complementary (but sometime conflicting) concepts - as urban vulnerability, resilience and sustainability - the classes wish to discuss with the student how resilience thinking could be applied to and in urban systems. Along the seminars, theory will be complemented by the presentation and exercises on urban and climate resilience assessment s, in order to acquire the skills for understanding which should be the design, and governance processes, to effectively implement urban and climate resilience. The final aim of this module is also to contribute to the critical understanding about the role of the societies, groups, communities and individuals within urban resilience, highlighting the complexity beyond trying to implement integrated perspectives, while avoiding maladaptation, or development lock-in. Many case studies will be illustrated from both developing and global north cities, in order to provide the students with a comprehensive picture about urban resilience thinking and its practices. Also, individual and groups exercises will confer the necessary skills to evaluate and design urban resilience strategies, at the light of the emerging framework of "urban resilience trade-offs". Much of the classes will be held by the prof. Chelleri Lorenzo, supported from the resources and network of professors from the lnt. Msc. in City Resilience Design and Management. Students will be thus exposed to reading scientific papers, take part in seminars, watching short movies and recorded seminars to be discussed in class, and finally in-class debates also based on students presentations of their short-works.

The course, designed in collaboration between Politecnico di Torino, University of Catalunya and Urban Resilience Research Net, is designed with an inter-disciplinary approach that encourages the exchange of skills and knowledge between professors, employees of partner companies and PhD candidates and students. The course ensures not only a high-level technical training, but also a wide engagement of different actors who will foster collaboration within the Ecosystem. Participants will be able to develop transversal skills that will enhance technological transfer, innovation and research. The course will train climate change specialists in climate resilience and city resilience design and management.
The course, designed within the framework of Spoke 4, introduces knowledge regarding the role of communities and individuals within climate resilience systems. The knowledge acquired during the course will contribute to the development of innovative technology intended to support communities located in mountainous areas to create a climate-resilient society able to adapt to the effects of climate change.