Course on Psychological Wellbeing and Urban Space
Online course of 300 hours in psychological wellbeing and urban space: 6 modules covering mental health and the city, urban nature and wellbeing, public space design for wellbeing, measurement and evaluation and urban policies and programmes, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify the urban determinants of mental health and wellbeing.
Apply the evidence on urban nature to city design.
Design public spaces that encourage sociability and restoration.
Measure wellbeing with validated scales and observation methods.
Carry out health impact assessments of urban projects.
Design urban programmes against unwanted loneliness.
Develop a healthy urban space project.
Who it's for
- Health-focused urban planners
- Municipal public health technicians
- Public space designers
- Environmental health researchers
- Community participation technicians
- Urban wellbeing consultants
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into local government
What you'll work with
- Law 33/2011 (Spanish General Public Health Act)
- Law 37/2003 (Spanish Noise Act)
- Directive 2002/49/EC (assessment and management of environmental noise)
- Order TMA/851/2021 (accessibility of urbanised public spaces)
- WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, 2018 (noise and health)
- ISO 12913-1 (acoustics: soundscape)
- Royal Legislative Decree 7/2015 (consolidated Land and Urban Regeneration Act)
- QGIS
- Google Earth Engine
- KoboToolbox
- SPSS
- Miro
6 modules
1.1Urban determinants of mental health1.2Epidemiology of disorders in urban environments1.3Urban stress and neuroscience1.4Unwanted loneliness and social isolation1.5Attention restoration theories1.6Ulrich's stress reduction theory1.7Health in all policies1.8WHO Healthy Cities1.9Inequalities and the social gradient1.10Case study: mental health profile of a neighbourhood
2.1Green spaces and mental health: the evidence2.2The 3-30-300 rule for urban trees2.3Blue spaces and wellbeing2.4Biophilia and biophilic design2.5Urban gardens and horticultural therapy2.6Noise, pollution and mental health2.7Accessibility and quality of parks2.8Social prescribing of nature2.9Urban green indicators such as NDVI2.10Practical exercise: analysis of nearby green space with NDVI
3.1Human scale and walkability3.2Meeting spaces and sociability3.3Perceived safety and design3.4Age-friendly design3.5Design for children and free play3.6Neurodevelopment-sensitive design3.7Lighting, colour and perception3.8Urban soundscape3.9Furniture for lingering3.10Workshop: redesigning a street for lingering
4.1Wellbeing scales: WEMWBS and WHO-54.2Environmental perception surveys4.3Observing the use of public space4.4Jan Gehl's methods4.5Emotional maps and participation4.6Physiological sensors and urban experience4.7Health impact assessment methodology4.8Data analysis and bias4.9Ethics in research with people4.10Case study: health impact assessment of a project
5.1Urban health plans5.2Strategies against unwanted loneliness5.3Health assets and community mapping5.4Age-friendly city networks5.5Tactical urbanism and wellbeing5.6Collaboration between urban planning and primary care5.7Programme financing and evaluation5.8Communication and participation5.9International good practice5.10Workshop: health assets map of a neighbourhood
6.1Selection of the area6.2Health and environment diagnosis6.3Resident participation in the design6.4Design proposal6.5Activity programme6.6Health impact assessment of the design6.7Wellbeing indicators for monitoring6.8Budget and implementation phases6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the course is compatible with full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, Google Earth Engine, KoboToolbox, SPSS and Miro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied, including the assessment of access to nearby green spaces, the health impact assessment of an urban project and the observation of how people use and linger in public space. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrating project.
Standards covered: Law 33/2011 on Public Health; Law 37/2003 on Noise; Directive 2002/49/EC; Order TMA/851/2021; WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018); ISO 12913-1; Royal Legislative Decree 7/2015.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with QGIS, Google Earth Engine, KoboToolbox, SPSS and Miro, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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