Smart and Shared Cities (SSC - 15 EC)

Unfortunately, this minor has been cancelled for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students cannot register for this minor.

In an ever-changing world, how do we make sure smart cities are also SHARED?

Cities have become more liveable than ever thanks to the rapid developments in technology. Strategically placed IoT devices, such as sensors and cameras, spread across the city offer solutions to different social challenges. But who keeps the tech in check? What urban challenges can data easily resolve, and how do we ensure it’s done responsibly? Throughout this minor, you'll explore these issues and opportunities from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives (data science, sociology, and governance) and fully engage in the debate around smart city life with a reflective and critical mindset.

This combined 15 & 30 EC minor programme is specially developed for students from Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The minor Smart and SHARED Cities is a full-time programme with approx. 10 mandatory contact hours (typically Mon, Wed, Fri) and 20 hours of self-study (Tue, Thurs) per week. The 15 EC version of the minor is made up of three 5 EC modules, whereas the 30 EC version contains four 5 EC modules and one 10 EC research project carried out with an external commissioner.

Reasons to choose a Leiden-Delft Erasmus minor:
• You will receive multidisciplinary education from three top universities.
• You learn about urgent social issues and new solutions.
• You meet students and teachers from different fields of study.
• You work on cases for companies, governments, and NGOs.
• You build a network in Leiden, The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam.

Module 1
In the first module the students will be introduced to the core ideas of the smart city and technologies. The module will cover various smart city concepts and address the basic digital and data technologies (key enabling technologies) that constitute smart cities. There will also be ample attention for the legal, ethical, political, and social dilemmas in smart cities.

Module 2
In this second module students will learn about the place and role for citizens and citizen participation in smart city rhetoric, practice, and design. In this module we approach the smart city from the perspective of the citizens. Who has a say in smart city developments and governance; who benefits from them; whose interests are served? Which groups miss out, and how is everyday life in streets, stores, pubs and clubs affected?

Module 3
In module 3, students focus on how (smart) cities are governed. Students are introduced to basic concepts around policymaking and governance and how this has evolved with the introduction of new technologies, the ethical challenges around serving citizens while integrating data-driven techniques into policymaking and service delivery, as well as the role of citizens in the smart city and how they are engaged in the policymaking process.

Module 4
Urban Data Science (UDS) combines urban planning, spatial stats, and data science. This module explores various urban data sources (sensors, IoT, social media) used in city planning and governance, introducing students to computational methods and analytical tools.

Module 5
Module 5 operationalizes theoretical knowledge from prior modules. Students collaborate on a project with external partners like Argeleo, The Future Mobility Network, Gemeente Rotterdam, or TechTics. Together with the commissioner, they formulate a problem statement, engage in independent academic research, and function as academic consultants.

Module 1: Introduction to the Smart & SHARED City

• Explain the origins and function of the smart city concept.
• Identify key enabling technologies and methodologies of the smart city.
• Identify (recognize) and compare the different conceptions of the smart city concept.
• Position themselves in the smart city debate, argue for that position and reflect on that
  position.

Module 2: Citizen and Everyday Experiences with the Smart City

• Understand the relevance of citizen participation in smart cities.
• Compare different examples of citizen participation and their underlying paradigms in smart city rhetoric and practice.
• Reflect on different approaches to accommodate transparency, inclusion and civic actionability for citizen participation in smart cities.
• Create a proposal for improving transparency, inclusion and civic actionability in smart cities.

Module 3: Governing the Smart City

• Analyse complex governance processes in smart cities.
• Have a grasp of current discussions in the literature on governance-related aspects of smart cities.
• Write a policy brief.
• Explain the role of different stakeholders in the smart city context, especially local government, and citizens.
• Reflect on and compare different interests and point of views when using technology and data in a smart city context.
• Evaluate smart city policies in light of vulnerable groups.

Module 4: Urban Data Science

• Identify new sources of spatiotemporal urban data and ways to collect them.
• Compare different types of urban data based on their characteristics.
• Select appropriate sources of urban data to address problems of cities, relating to a range of domains (e.g., mobility, health, allocation of opportunities).
• Explain and discuss applications of new forms of urban data in cities, as well as concepts and methods of spatial data collection and analysis.
• Explain the risks, limitations, and ethical implications relating to the use of different (traditional and novel) urban data sources.
• Develop a data-driven strategy to address a societal challenge in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets.
• Discuss the opportunities, limitations, and ethical implications of the data-driven strategy, as well as potential ways to resolve them.

Module 5: Research Participation & Projects

• Understand and apply basic project management skills.
• Understand and apply innovation project approaches in an urban context.
• Apply knowledge of key concepts of previous modules.
• Conduct independent research within a team.
• Collaborate with a project commissioner.
• Advise students in other project groups and advise project commissioners.
• Communicate effectively (format, presentation, and formulation).
• Understand professional responsibility.

This minor is a fulltime program. Students are expected to participate in collective class activities on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during office hours (i.e., between 9:00 and 17:00). Tuesday and Thursday are for individual assignments and group work. The schedule will be published on Canvas. You will be notified by changes via announcements.

The minor takes place at Erasmus University, TU Delft and The Hague (Leiden University). Field trips are a part of this study.

For this minor we follow the EUR- academic calendar, the 15 EC minor starts at Monday 02-09-2024 and runs until Friday 8-11-2024. The 30 EC minor starts at Monday 02-09-2024 and runs until Friday 31-01-2025. The Christmas holiday is from 23-12-2024 until 05-01-2025.

Teaching methods
Our lecturers take a theory-meets-practice, interactive approach combining face-to-face lectures and readings with site visits and talks/Q&A’s with representatives from municipalities, research centres and independent guest speakers.

Teaching materials
For this minor there is a balance between traditional and innovative learning methods. The modules are designed in a blended learning form, meaning lectures will make use of face-to-face lectures, online documents and articles, and video’s/online lectures. Reading materials include policy papers, reports, articles, and books. We will use Canvas as electronic teaching environments.

Method of examination
Given that students from a wide range of faculties follow the minor, examination is carried out not only individually, but equally through group assignments producing papers, policy briefs and projects from an interdisciplinary approach. The assessment might consist of individual papers on smart city concepts, group projects or portfolios and reports.
Module 1: Individual paper
Module 2: Group project and individual reflection
Module 3: Policy Brief
Module 4: Individual report and group assignment
Module 5: Group assignment and peer review

Composition final grade
Each module has several graded assignments. The grade for each module is based on a bespoke calculation that may differ per module. You need to pass every module, the average of three modules (15 EC) or five modules (30 EC) is your final grade. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. Any absence, unless properly motivated, will result in 0.5 points deduction from the individual final grade. Students need to pass each module with a grade of at least 5.5 in order to complete the minor.