Learning-by-Doing Methodology towards Urban Decarbonisation: An Application in Valletta (Malta)

Matteo Maccanti, Romina D’Ascanio (), Federica Di Pietrantonio, Michela Marchi (), Jesús Vargas Molina, Riccardo Maria Pulselli, Andrea Poldrugovac, Diane Schembri Cassar, Lorenzo Barbieri, Josefina López Galdeano, Valentina Niccolucci, Carmela Gioia, Francesca Paola Mondelli, Jesmond Xuereb, Anna Laura Palazzo and Simone Bastianoni
Additional contact information
Matteo Maccanti: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Romina D’Ascanio: Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, 00153 Rome, Italy
Federica Di Pietrantonio: Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, 00153 Rome, Italy
Michela Marchi: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Jesús Vargas Molina: Global Change Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, History and Phylosophy, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013 Seville, Spain
Riccardo Maria Pulselli: Heritage Architecture Urbanism Department of Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Andrea Poldrugovac: Istrian Regional Energy Agency, 52220 Labin, Croatia
Diane Schembri Cassar: Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency, VLT 1310 Valletta, Malta
Lorenzo Barbieri: Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, 00153 Rome, Italy
Josefina López Galdeano: Global Change Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, History and Phylosophy, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013 Seville, Spain
Valentina Niccolucci: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Carmela Gioia: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Francesca Paola Mondelli: Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, 00153 Rome, Italy
Jesmond Xuereb: Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency, VLT 1310 Valletta, Malta
Anna Laura Palazzo: Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, 00153 Rome, Italy
Simone Bastianoni: Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-28

Abstract: Since approximately 75% of Europeans currently live in cities, and this number will rise, urban areas are the most important testbeds for energy transition, climate change adaptation measures, and decarbonisation models, on which studies and efforts for concrete change must focus. The teaching of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change and decarbonisation models has gradually taken up space within university courses. However, the complexity of the decarbonisation issue is raising awareness on the urgency of an interdisciplinary approach that can be conveyed by spatial planning. Currently, this approach is not widespread in Higher Education Institutions in Europe but is nonetheless necessary to let new professional profiles emerge who are able to coordinate different stakeholders, data, and information sources. The Erasmus+ project CITY MINDED (2020–2022) has worked in this direction, by developing and testing a methodology for the design of a structured ordinary practice for teaching urban decarbonisation to students in Higher Education. This practice (at the same time, interdisciplinary, collaborative, experiential, and place-based) aims to offer students a combination of different approaches and working methods to investigate and improve urban neighbourhoods and districts, resulting in the definition of an operative roadmap for decarbonisation in the medium-to-long-term. The aim of this article is to highlight the learning-by-doing experience developed by the project consortium, with reference to the testing of the methodology conducted within an Intensive Course in the City of Valletta (Malta). In particular, the paper illustrates how this experience succeeded in stimulating students with different academic backgrounds to establish connections across disciplines, in raising their awareness about the complexity of city decarbonisation processes. Overcoming the strict time and budget constraints of an EU-funded project, such an approach can be further developed, replicated on theoretical grounds, and implemented within different degree programmes dealing with urban sustainability.

Keywords: urban sustainability; carbon footprint; climate change; green infrastructure; urban landscape; building energy efficiency; renewable energies; teaching sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/7/5807/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/7/5807/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:7:p:5807-:d:1108484

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().