First term
Second term
Both terms
Not organised
This year
Next year
Alternating years
External
Prerequisites
Language of instruction
Duration
Identical coursesUrban Ecology and Green Management (B-KUL-I0U73A)
Somers Ben (coordinator) | Hermy Martin | Somers Ben Aims
Overall:
- Students know what a more ecological/sustainable urban development involves and how urban green mangement can contribute to a more justified, sustainable and viable urban development
More in particular, students know:
- about the role and significance and ecosystem services of urban green in urban(ized) areas, in our living and working environment
- how urban green management can make urban(ized) areas more sustainable and more viable for humans
- about the variation in abiotic conditions offered by cities in comparison to rural areas and the consequences for urban green (introduces the topic of urban ecology)
- how to design and maintain various forms of urban green (e.g. green roofs, vertical green, wall vegetation, gardens, parks, road verges, pavements, trees)
- about the criteria used to select, design, implement and maintain various forms of urban green using mostly perrenial plant species
- about a number of tools to monitor or assess urban green and its services (e.g. remote sensing)
Students are capable of illustrating one or more aspects of the above through reporting of an excursion and/or application of evaluation instruments
Previous knowledge
Previous basic training in ecology or biology is an advantage, but not essential.
Identical courses
This course is identical to the following courses:
I0P78A : Urbane ecologie en groenbeheer (No longer offered this academic year)
Is included in these courses of study
- Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (Leuven)
- Master in de bio-ingenieurswetenschappen: landbeheer (Leuven) (Major bos-, natuur- en landschapssystemen) 120 ects.
- Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering (Leuven) (Major Subject: Forest, Nature and Landscape Systems) 120 ects.
- Master of Urbanism, Landscape and Planning (Leuven) 120 ects.
- Master of Geography (Programme for students started in 2021-2022 or later) (Leuven et al) 120 ects.
Activities
3 ects. Urban Ecology and Green Management: Lectures (B-KUL-I0U73a)
Content
Within a context of worldwide urbanization and the problems that this involves, there is a need for better use and optimal application of urban green as the latter may considerably improve the living conditions in urban(ized) areas. The course starts from the concept of sustainable urban development (e.g. the ecopolis concept of S. Thallingii); the latter delivers a framework for a more sustainable development of cities. The course contains the following chapters:
1. Ecology of urban areas: abiotic and biotic characteristics (incl. climate, soils, biota (native & aliens), heat island effect, water balance)
2. Concepts for a more sustainable development
3. Urban green: backbone for a modern society, functions and ecosystem services of urban green & ecological efficiency of urban green
4. Greening the building envelope (vertical green, wall vegetation, green roofs)
5. Other urban green elements (vegetation on pavements, gardens, gardens, trees)
6. Urban data informatics (remote sensing, GIS, apps, citizen science for monitoring and managing urban green)
7. Specific topics (varying in time)
Course material
Scientific articles and PowerPoint presentations.
1 ects. Urban Ecology & Green Management: Practical (B-KUL-I0V74a)
Content
Illustration of one or more aspects of ‘urban ecology and green management’ through excursion and/or assignments.
Assignments account for 10% of the final course grade.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Urban Ecology and Green Management (B-KUL-I2U73a)
Explanation
The evaluation consists of multiple parts:
- A field exercise, evaluated by a presentation, worth 10% of the grade.
- A take home exercise
- A written exam
The take home exercise and the written exam together count for 90% of the grade.
All parts of the evaluation are mandatory. A student who does not participate in the field exercise and/or the accompanying presentation (except for valid reasons timely communicated to the coordinator of the course) will be excluded from the exam and the retake. The course will then be considered not taken (NA).
Information about retaking exams
If a student passed the field exercise, but did not obtain an overall sufficient score, the grades for the field exercise will be transferred to the third examination period.
A student who did not pass the field exercise and did not obtain an overall sufficient score will get an individual assignment replacing the field exercise.
The written exam will have to be repeated in both cases.
The student has the choice to submit a new take-home exercise. In case the student submits a new exercise, the score of this newly submitted exercise will be accounted for in the final score for the third exam period. If the student however decides not to submit a new take home exercise, the grades for the field exercise will be transferred to the third examination period.
A student who received ‘NA’ on the field exercise will not get a chance to redo this part. These students are also excluded from taking the exam during the third examination period.