AM204U Complexities and Conflicts in Urban Development 7.5 credits

The course deals with complexity and conflicts in urban development and design, from general planning to the management of the urban environment. The course includes working with theoretical models and concepts to do with complexity, conflicts and approaches to them, as well as practical examples from the participant’s own experience in their professional role. The participant is given a project assignment based on a project or process in which they have participated and they will perform an analysis on the theme of the course and propose alternatives. A recurring theme of the course is the linking of theory and practice to enable the research of strategies on how complexity and various forms of conflict impact urban development. The various elements of this include conflicts of interest between various parties, communication in complex situations, an understanding of one’s own role and others’ role, as well as the conditions for cooperation and collaboration processes; both as an opportunity to drive the project forward despite the complexity and conflicts involved and also in a situation where conflicts may arise. During the course practical and theoretical examples will be merged and the teaching will be arranged into a series of seminars that will go deeper into the various aspects of complexity and conflicts. In addition, methods of working with complexity and resolving conflicts will be discussed and tested.

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Utilise theoretical models and concepts to analyse urban development, identify problems and propose possible solutions and/or improved routines and processes in a practical way.

Identify and describe complexity and potential conflicts in the various stages of urban development and design; from general municipal planning to the management phase.

Design the planning and decision processes to capitalise on complexity and conflicting interests.

Identify and analyse conflicting goals at international, national, regional and local level in relation to how these will impact on urban development and design.

Describe and propose organisation of management and participation in the collaboration process.

Critically reflect on the various participants’ roles and reflect on their own professional role.

Describe conflicts between sustainability aspects and analyse the consequences of various prioritisations.

This information will be made available at the start of the course.

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

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.

Maria Håkansson

• 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.

The course is part of the Masters programme Design and Construction in the City and is a commissioned course.

The seven-day course is divided into two or three blocks, in addition to the students working on their own, between course meetings.

Commissioned Course. Admittance to the course can only be purchased by a legal entity who appoints course participants.