Urban Resilience Course through Underground Infrastructure
Online course of 300 hours in Urban Resilience through Underground Infrastructure: 6 modules covering urban resilience and the subsurface, underground infrastructure against water, utility networks and service tunnels, underground mobility and public space, and resilience assessment and management, 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 concept of urban resilience and the role of the subsurface.
Analyse underground solutions against flooding and climate change.
Produce conceptual designs for service tunnels and buried networks.
Assess the use of the subsurface for mobility and public space.
Evaluate the vulnerability of underground critical infrastructure.
Propose governance and planning models for the subsurface.
Prepare a resilience plan based on underground infrastructure.
Who it's for
- Urban infrastructure engineers.
- Urban planners.
- Climate resilience consultants.
- Critical infrastructure managers.
- Civil protection technicians.
- Urban hydraulic engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- ISO 37123 (sustainable cities and communities: indicators for resilient cities)
- ISO 22301 (security and resilience: business continuity management systems)
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (UN framework for disaster risk reduction)
- Directive 2007/60/EC (assessment and management of flood risks)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2557 (resilience of critical entities)
- Ley 8/2011 (Spanish Critical Infrastructure Protection Act)
- UNE-EN 752 (drain and sewer systems outside buildings)
- ISO 37120 (sustainable cities and communities: indicators for city services)
- QGIS
- SWMM (EPA)
- InfoWorks ICM
- ArcGIS Pro
- Autodesk InfraWorks
6 modules
1.1The concept of urban resilience1.2Hazards: climate, flooding, heat and earthquakes1.3The subsurface as an urban resource1.4Planning of underground space1.5Buried critical infrastructure1.6Interdependencies between networks1.7Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction1.8City resilience indicators1.9Examples of cities with intensive use of the subsurface1.10Case study: the Helsinki subsurface
2.1Storm tanks and attenuation reservoirs2.2Deep urban drainage tunnels2.3The SMART tunnel in Kuala Lumpur2.4Flood protection of metro systems2.5Barriers and floodgates at underground entrances2.6Stormwater management and SUDS2.7Hydraulic modelling of networks2.8Lessons from Hurricane Sandy in New York2.9Adaptation to climate change2.10Practical: sizing of a storm tank
3.1Multi-utility service tunnels3.2Underground power networks3.3Underground district heating and cooling3.4Telecommunications networks3.5Water supply and sewerage pipelines3.6Accessible maintenance and redundancy3.7Protection against cascading failures3.8Coordinated utility management3.9Mapping and recording of the subsurface3.10Case study: design of a utility tunnel
4.1Undergrounding of urban roads4.2Freeing up surface space and green areas4.3Underground car parks and logistics4.4The metro as a resilient backbone4.5Shelters and emergency spaces4.6Underground cities: Montreal and Tokyo4.7Comfort, lighting and wayfinding4.8Security and access control4.9Social acceptance of underground spaces4.10Case study: undergrounding of the M-30 in Madrid
5.1Vulnerability analysis of infrastructure5.2Stress scenarios and stress tests5.3Service continuity plans5.4Urban digital twins5.5Monitoring and early warning5.6Financing adaptation5.7Governance of the subsurface5.8Life-cycle cost and avoided losses5.9Public participation in planning5.10Workshop: vulnerability assessment of a metro network
6.1Diagnosis of the city and its hazards6.2Inventory of underground infrastructure6.3Identification of vulnerabilities6.4Proposal of underground interventions6.5Cost-benefit analysis6.6Governance and phasing plan6.7Monitoring indicators6.8Integration with urban planning6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your 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 it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, SWMM (EPA), InfoWorks ICM, ArcGIS Pro and Autodesk InfraWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Cases are studied on real procedures for urban subsurface planning, flood protection of metro systems and vulnerability assessment of critical infrastructure. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrated project.
Standards covered: ISO 37123; ISO 22301; Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030; Directive 2007/60/EC; Directive (EU) 2022/2557; Ley 8/2011; UNE-EN 752; ISO 37120.
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, SWMM (EPA), InfoWorks ICM, ArcGIS Pro and Autodesk InfraWorks, 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 only 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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