PPPM107 SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Tan Yiwen (BSocSc Class of 2017)
Sustainable Cities is a module that promises to debunk the myths of “fluff” and “hippie” when it comes to the topic of sustainability. Forget about tree-hugging, this module gets you stuck in with the intricacies of how we are to be sustainable. A typical insight gleaned would be “Instead of trying to build more roads to reduce congestion, why not make cities more liveable with amenities and design for humans rather than cars (including walkable and cycleable cities)”. It unveils many falsities in the current pseudo-sustainability literature, from sustainability campaigns that miss the point, to physically impossible ideas that have managed to creep in and even been lauded as major green initiatives. It is indeed a delight to have taken the module and one definitely will not be short-changed if effort is put in and one takes an active interest in the topic; after all, Prof. Taeihagh is at the cutting-edge writing on sustainability and sustainability tools.
The course does not overload you with facts – It applies facts to validate and elucidate frameworks for us to comprehend this complex problem of achieving sustainability. The progress of the course is systematic as it is topical, and the concepts build up from week to week. It spans major sustainability domains, from transport to waste; and in different scales, from cities to individual buildings. While there is breadth in the module, sufficient depth is addressed as well. One should keep the objective of the module in mind while the course is progressing as it will be the unifying nexus for the seemingly disparate domains and their respective concepts and taxonomies. Ultimately, frameworks for critically evaluating sustainability are interwoven throughout the topics. As one nears the end of the course, through prompting and guidance by Prof. Taeihagh throughout his seminars, you should be able to see the enduring principles that span the domains of sustainability.
While the course brings with it many “Wow! I did not know that!” moments, the most interesting part of the course for me was the introduction to Geel’s Sociotechnical Transitions. Facts and figures are readily available online and from library sources, the brilliance is in the frameworks and models taught, especially since Prof. Taeihagh carefully curates the course literature to ensure that by the end of the course, we become proper amateurs in sustainability, versed in the literature and actually even able to provide critical insight into the topic. This stems once again from the frameworks and models introduced, an example of which is Sociotechnical Transitions. As a model to explain how new technologies become mainstream and replace older ones throughout history, it interests the social scientist within us. It answers questions like “How does a new technology operate within a structure” (reminiscent of sociology), and “How may we as policy makers create conditions to facilitate or even ease the transition” (public policy). While seemingly daunting, the exercises conducted during class do serve to help one digest the information through examples given and prototype identification. If anything, the framework can be applied across the domains of sustainability so it takes little more than some mental exercises to validate one’s understanding.
The major point of learning for the module is the research blog or term essay. Prof. Taeihagh opens up the option for students to choose between either. He also addresses the disparity in effort as well through gamification aspects (read: extra credit) for what he knows as the slightly more demanding route. The beauty of the blog venture (which I chose) is that it opens up a Pandora’s box into the domain of sustainability. It is indeed a wonder to apply concepts from the course to explore a topic of one’s interest. When I explored the concept of resilience-building in Singapore, it led me down multiple pathways to better appreciate what we have cut out for us already. However, it also revealed certain complacencies, certain misplaced assumptions and expectations we have on our safety and security. This is coupled with a journey to devour a number of books (not necessary for doing well but infinitely enjoyable), on concepts that would never find their way in a normal module (Chaos Theory, Anti-fragility, Complex Systems). The blog is guaranteed to pique your intellectual interest and functions as a contract with yourself, you take out as much as you put in.
Overall, this course on Sustainable Cities is a most crucial primer on one’s journey into the realm. It introduces important and transferable core concepts and frameworks so that one may delve deeper into the field without crutches. It gives you various platforms to explore and self-direct your learning, a convenient excuse to read up on topics that interest you (albeit not too tangential to sustainability) and apply them in a mental exercise that melds your knowledge base together.