The city is a dynamic system which changes continuously as a results of e g developments in the society, new technical solutions or political decisions. To be able to study the city, knowledge of the different functions of the city is needed such as housing, recreation, retail, education and work. The inhabitants of the city move between these functions to act, work or meet others, which creates meeting places and different movement patterns (traffic). The interplay in the city reflects different dependencies between the functions of the city and influence inter alia the design of the city. There are however many other factors that influence the design of the city such as geographic, economic, cultural and social preconditions, technology etc. This implies that the city changes in time and space as the preconditions that influence the design of the city are changing. Knowledge of the interplay between functions creates possibilities to identify conflicts and generate synergies that contribute to sustainable urban development.
Planning of the future development of the city and the region takes place within a regulatory framework that provides different public authorities tools and resources to influence the development of inter alia settlement patterns, infrastructure and environment. The possibilities to influence the development are however limited, as there are different driving forces that have a strong effect on societal change.
The course addresses the different actors that participate in urban planning (authorities, developers and the public), and which roles and possibilities they have to influence the planning process. Further, the internal order of the city and driving forces that influence the interplay between the functions of the city are studied. This knowledge helps inter alia to assess the opportunities to introduce new solutions for urban traffic and energy systems, and to evaluate different alternatives to influence the design and dynamics of the city.