The Potential of the Technical University of Denmark in the Light of Sustainable Livable Cities

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has a long tradition for research and education in urban planning and sustainable urban development. An increasing societal focus on sustainability and urbanization in society supports this continuous focus on sustainable urban planning in technical educations. The focus on sustainable urban development includes understanding the role of civil engineering, water engineering, sustainable mobility and energy, and communities in developing future desirable solutions. However, beyond the challenges faced in each of the specific technical fields, there is a growing demand for integrated solutions. A proposal has been developed in the last couple of years to further develop DTU’s education in urban development and livable cities with an emphasis on integration and interdependencies in urban engineering. This paper describes core professional design niches which by themselves have an impact on urban development, including water in cities, climate adaptation, mobility planning, building, energy, and community designs. A number of challenges in developing an integrated approach in the technical education are discussed in the paper. The increasing focus on sustainability but also on global urbanization, compact cities, and smart cities supports new thinking in urban planning and design in technical education. The paper suggests a new initiative to further develop the sustainable urban planning research and education at DTU.