Learning and Teaching Interdisciplinary Skills in Sustainable Urban Development—The Case of Tampere University, Finland

Jonathon Taylor, Salla Jokela, Markus Laine, Juho Rajaniemi, Pekka Jokinen, Liisa Häikiö and Antti Lönnqvist
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Jonathon Taylor: Faculty of Built Environment, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland
Salla Jokela: Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Markus Laine: Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland
Juho Rajaniemi: Faculty of Built Environment, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland
Pekka Jokinen: Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland
Liisa Häikiö: Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Antti Lönnqvist: Faculty of Built Environment, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Developing the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of urban environments is challenging due to the complex and interconnected nature of the context and objectives. In order to be successful in this challenging environment, professionals working in the urban development arena should have a holistic understanding of the different pillars of sustainable development, as well as various competencies and skills. This paper looks at sustainable urban development (SUD) from the perspective of the skills and competencies required and identifies effective pedagogic practices that could help educate future professionals. In particular, we explore interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning, reflective thinking, and experiential learning, which are needed for understanding various aspects of a complex phenomenon, collaborating with professionals from different fields and coming up with novel and constructive ways of solving complex problems. We first examine these through reviewing and analyzing relevant literature on education for sustainable development, with a focus on SUD. Then, we explore the application of these approaches in practice by describing and analyzing a newly introduced degree program at Tampere University, Finland.

Keywords: education for sustainable development; pedagogy; urban; multidisciplinary learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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