KLOOC on Shrinking Cities

course duration: Self-study course
Language: English

What is this course about?

Demographic change and job losses are leading to a decline in the population of cities worldwide. In a recently finished international project, funded by the EU Commission, research teams from Europe, the USA, Mexico and Japan have investigating how the quality of life in shrinking cities can be improved on an interdisciplinary basis. This includes infrastructure, urban food production, culture, and migration.

Cities in many industrialised countries share a similar fate e.g. the US city of Cleveland was once a flourishing metropolis - thanks to its steel and automotive industries. However, in the last century, with the opening of world markets and the associated steel and oil crises, decline began: Population figures have declined significantly, and entire districts are still characterized by vacancies. Cities in the Ruhr Area and in eastern Germany, for example, experienced similar developments. The reasons for the ongoing decline are demographic change and economic factors such as job losses and corporate migration. In Japan, aging and migration to a few metropolitan areas are the drivers of shrinkage. This is why various measures and techniques have been developed in many places to provide for the needs of the elderly.

The RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau has been researching and teaching on the topic for a long time. The KaisersLauter Open Online Course (KLOOC for short) shows which problem areas exist in the context of shrinking cities, which concepts might provide a solution and how these can be implemented in a living environment.

The KLOOC provides its participants with a certificate of participation displaying the various lectures and topics that are covered.

How is the course structured?

  • Introduction to the RE-CITY MOOC
  • Introduction to revitalizing shrinking cities
  • Shrinking Cities and Path Dependencies
  • Shrinking Cities and European policies
  • Shrinking Cities and shrinking smart
  • Shrinking Cities and civic initiative/ experimental governance
  • Shrinking Cities and strategic planning
  • Shrinking Cities and spatial injustice
  • Shrinking Cities and green infrastructure
  • Shrinking Cities and social housing infrastructure
  • Shrinking Cities and flood resilience
  • Shrinking Cities and the green economy
  • Shrinking Cities and social capital
  • Shrinking Cities and refugees

Certificates

In this course, you can earn Badges and Training certificate.

Organizer

RE-CITY ITNRPTURPTU Kaiserslautern