Course on Urban Co-design Strategies
Online course of 300 hours in urban co-design strategies, structured in 6 modules covering co-design principles, preparing co-design, generative tools, prototyping and validation, and scaling up and continuity, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Urban Co-design Strategies — studying from the United Kingdom
Civil and infrastructure engineering is a major employment sector in the United Kingdom, with significant activity in transport, water, energy and urban regeneration. Rail projects such as HS2 and ongoing network upgrades by Network Rail create demand for engineers in track, signalling, structures and systems. Smart city initiatives in cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Milton Keynes apply digital technologies to mobility, utilities and public services. Major contractors and consultancies including Balfour Beatty, Arup and AECOM employ civil and rail professionals across the country.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £664 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK professional bodies are relevant to civil and rail engineering qualifications?
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and, for rail, bodies such as the Permanent Way Institution and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers are relevant in the UK. Chartered status is handled through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so you should confirm with ICE or the relevant institution how your study would be treated.
Do UK civil, rail and smart city employers recognise online private qualifications?
UK infrastructure employers, including consultancies, contractors, rail operators and local authorities, generally recruit based on competence, professional registration and project experience. A private qualification can add to your profile, but employers decide its relevance. Practical experience and progress towards professional registration usually carry more weight.
How does online study fit with a UK working schedule, and what about funding?
Online study lets you keep working in the UK, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Fees are payable in instalments, and some employers support job-related training, which is common practice in general terms but varies by employer. Each programme has a defined number of hours and an assigned technical tutor. Review the hours and funding options before enrolling.
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
Apply the principles of co-design to urban projects.
Prepare inclusive and accessible co-design sessions.
Use generative tools with communities.
Prototype and validate proposals with users.
Translate participatory results into technical projects.
Institutionalise co-design within public administration.
Develop a complete urban co-design process.
Who it's for
- Participatory urban designers.
- Co-design facilitators.
- Architects and urban planners.
- Social innovation officers.
- Citizen lab managers.
- Community mediators.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join local government.
What you'll work with
- UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda
- 2019 Spanish Urban Agenda (national urban policy framework)
- ISO 9241-210 (human-centred design)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Ley 9/2017 (Spanish Public Sector Contracts Act)
- Ley 19/2013 (Spanish Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance Act)
- Miro
- Minecraft Education
- SketchUp
- Maptionnaire
- Figma
6 modules
1.1From designing for people to designing with people1.2Scandinavian participatory design1.3Design thinking applied to the city1.4Roles of designer, facilitator and community1.5Expert knowledge and local knowledge1.6Power and equity in co-design1.7Co-design versus consultation1.8Citizen innovation labs1.9The experiences of Medialab Prado and Civic Design1.10Case study: analysis of a co-designed project
2.1Defining the design challenge2.2Selecting and recruiting participants2.3Collaboration agreements2.4Preparing materials2.5Venues and logistics2.6Including children and older people2.7Accessibility of sessions2.8Managing expectations2.9Documenting the process2.10Workshop: script for a co-design session
3.1Collective maps and social mapping3.2Participatory scale models3.3Urban design games3.4Design cards and kits3.5Participatory photography and photovoice3.6Scenario storyboards3.7Building blocks and Minecraft3.8Virtual reality for co-design3.9Collaborative drawing of sections3.10Practical exercise: session with a participatory model of a square
4.1Full-scale prototypes4.2Temporary trials in the space4.3Iterating proposals4.4Voting and prioritisation4.5Evaluating prototypes with users4.6Translating ideas into a technical project4.7Technical and economic feasibility4.8Feeding back to the community4.9Shared responsibility in implementation4.10Case study: prototype of co-designed street furniture
5.1Integration into public procurement5.2Co-design in construction projects5.3Co-management of the resulting spaces5.4Documentation and open licences5.5Training of municipal teams5.6Evaluation of process and results5.7Ownership indicators5.8Risks of instrumentalisation5.9Networks of urban labs5.10Practical exercise: roadmap for institutionalising co-design
6.1Challenge and scope6.2Participating community and roles6.3Session design6.4Generative tools used6.5Results and proposals6.6Prototype and validation6.7Translation into a project6.8Continuity plan6.9Report 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 Miro, Minecraft Education, SketchUp, Maptionnaire and Figma, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for sessions with participatory models, temporary prototypes in public space and generative workshops with the community. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: the UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda, the 2019 Spanish Urban Agenda, ISO 9241-210, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Ley 9/2017 and Ley 19/2013.
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 Miro, Minecraft Education, SketchUp, Maptionnaire and Figma, 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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