AG2501 Human Settlements and Housing 7.5 credits

The course consists of lectures, a written examination, seminars, a local study trip and a housing programme exercise. The lectures deal with globalisation and its influence on local housing policies, the role of urbanisation for the occurrence of informal settlements; the internal dynamics of these settlements, and concepts such as urban sprawl, public housing, slum clearance, low-cost housing, upgrading, enabling strategies and livelihoods approach; the development of the Swedish housing model and its relevance to countries in transition. A special emphasis is laid on health and other developmental aspects of housing and neighbourhood planning; on the exchange of flows of energy, materials and waste at the neighbourhood level; and on the role of local authorities, professionals, NGOs, and. CBOs. The study trip includes a visit to classical and new Swedish housing areas and an eco-village. The planning exercise comprises the task to write a programme for a sustainable neighbourhood on a given site in a developing country context. The planning exercise is a group project.

The overall aim of the course is to give an orientation about the global housing problem in a perspective of sustainable urban development. It combines the experience from high-income with that of low-income countries.  Upon completion of this course, the students shall: 

• be familiar with key concepts and current theories within the field of global housing and sustainable settlement development.
• be able to apply relevant knowledge and abilities, within the theme of the course, to a given problem
• be able to reflect on, evaluate and critically review one’s own and others’ project works
• be able to document and present one’s own work within given requirements on structure, format, and language usage

A Bachelor’s degree in architecture or landscape architecture, civil engineering in the built environment or equivalent, urban and regional planning or social sciences including courses corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS credits in the field of urban, transport or regional planning and economy, geoinformatics or environmental sciences. In addition ** documented proficiency in English B or equivalent (TOEFL, IELTS e g).

A compendium constitutes the basis for the individual essay as well as the final exercise of formulating a sustainable housing programme.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• TEN1 - Examination, 3.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• ÖVN1 - Exercise, 4.5 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Examination (TEN1; 3,0 cr)
Exercise (ÖVN1; 4,5 cr)

To fulfil the course requirements students have to attend 75 percent of lectures, seminars, excursions and critique sessions; have their housing excercises approved and present an individual essay on a given topic. The final grading is based on all these factors, the written examination being most important.

Rolf Oskar Johansson

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

First prio: Students within TEESM-program.
Second prio: Incoming exchange-students S.