Housing development is vital for meeting housing needs and demands but it also impacts upon climate change and carries high risks for environmental, economic and social sustainability. This course examines what sustainability means in relation to housing development, and provides a critical examination of current policy and practice. It adopts a multi-scalar approach and considers the sustainability and resiliency of regions and cities, neighbourhoods, and dwellings. The course uses blended learning techniques, incorporating field visits to live development projects at the cutting edge of sustainable housing practice, student-led presentations and debates and guest workshop by practitioners working to deliver more sustainable homes. The course asks students to challenge their understanding of 'sustainability' as it relates to housing and to develop new perspectives on how to create a more sustainable built environment in the future.

This course runs in Semester 2, 3 hourly blocks, once per week, over 6 consecutive weeks.

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Assessment:

The course will be assessed by a 2,500 words essay (100% of credits) where students will be asked to answer one of three questions focused on the practical application of sustainable housing development at different spatial scales.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the concept of sustainable housing development in the context of climate change through the lens of the environmental, economic and social sustainability, and explore the process by which it is delivered at different spatial scales. The course seeks to develop students' confidence in evaluating sustainable housing at the national, city and regional levels, the neighbourhood scale, as well as developing students' technical knowledge about low carbon dwellings and how to deliver more sustainable neighbourhoods.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Evaluate the various philosophical origins of sustainable development and how they inform the politics of the environment.

■ Describe the policy context for sustainable housing development (including: housing policy, urban policy and planning and urban design policy)

■ Appreciate the various approaches to sustainable urban design at the city and neighbourhood scale, in addition to the challenges of retrofitting existing housing stock, as well as associated relationships with various dimensions of sustainable development.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.