Course on Social Impact Assessment in Urban Planning
Online course of 300 hours in social impact assessment in urban planning, structured in 6 modules covering social impact in urban projects, the social baseline, impact identification and assessment, impact mitigation and management, and quantification methods, 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
Understand the fundamentals of social impact assessment.
Build social baselines from quantitative and qualitative sources.
Identify and assess the social impacts of urban projects.
Design mitigation measures and social management plans.
Quantify social value using recognised methods.
Integrate the participation of affected people.
Prepare a social impact assessment report.
Who it's for
- Social impact assessors.
- Urban sociologists.
- Social sustainability consultants.
- Urban planning technicians.
- Community relations managers.
- Public policy analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join social and environmental consultancies.
What you'll work with
- IAIA International Principles for Social Impact Assessment
- Ley 21/2013 (Spanish Environmental Assessment Act)
- Directive 2014/52/EU (environmental impact assessment)
- Ley Orgánica 3/2007 (Spanish Act for effective equality between women and men)
- Ley 33/2011 (Spanish General Public Health Act)
- IFC Performance Standard 5 (land acquisition and involuntary resettlement)
- ISO 26000 (social responsibility)
- QGIS
- NVivo
- SPSS
- R
- Social Value Engine
6 modules
1.1The concept of social impact1.2Social impact assessment according to IAIA1.3Relationship with environmental assessment1.4Theory of change1.5Direct, indirect and cumulative impacts1.6Affected and vulnerable groups1.7Equity and spatial justice1.8Displacement and gentrification1.9Human rights and urban planning1.10Case study: social impacts of a major urban project
2.1Socio-demographic profile of the area2.2Statistical sources from INE and the municipal register2.3Urban vulnerability indicators2.4Stakeholder and relationship mapping2.5Uses and values of the territory2.6Social capital and community networks2.7Health and wellbeing2.8Existing services and facilities2.9Qualitative fieldwork techniques2.10Practical exercise: social baseline of a neighbourhood
3.1Impact identification matrices3.2With-project and without-project scenarios3.3Magnitude and significance criteria3.4Impacts on housing and affordability3.5Impacts on employment and retail3.6Impacts on mobility and accessibility3.7Impacts on cohesion and coexistence3.8Health impact assessment3.9Gender and child impacts3.10Workshop: impact matrix for an urban operation
4.1The mitigation hierarchy4.2Preventive and corrective measures4.3Compensation and benefit sharing4.4Resettlement plans4.5Community benefit agreements4.6Social management plans4.7Grievance mechanisms4.8Participatory impact monitoring4.9Communication with affected people4.10Case study: social management plan for a regeneration scheme
5.1Social return on investment (SROI)5.2Social cost-benefit analysis5.3Contingent valuation method5.4Subjective wellbeing indicators5.5Integration of mixed methods5.6Quasi-experimental evaluation designs5.7Ex post evaluation5.8Impact reporting standards5.9Methodological limitations of quantification5.10Practical exercise: SROI calculation for a community facility
6.1Description of the urban project6.2Social baseline6.3Impact identification6.4Significance assessment6.5Management measures6.6Monitoring plan6.7Participation of affected people6.8Assessment report6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme 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 each intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, NVivo, SPSS, R and Social Value Engine, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for social baseline surveys, interviews with affected stakeholders and social return on investment calculations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: IAIA International Principles for Social Impact Assessment, Ley 21/2013, Directive 2014/52/EU, Ley Orgánica 3/2007, Ley 33/2011, IFC Performance Standard 5 and ISO 26000.
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, NVivo, SPSS, R and Social Value Engine, 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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