Urban Project Management

E2025

Nordic Urban Planning Studies / Bæredygtig Omstilling (TekSam)

Course

Mandatory

English

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

Registration is through stads selvbetjeningwithin the announced registration period, as you can see on the Studyadministration homepage.

When registering for study activities, please be aware of the potential conflicts between study activities or exam dates. The planning of activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programs which do not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programs, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

5

Lasse Martin Koefoed (lmartin@ruc.dk)

Tatiana Fogelman (fogelman@ruc.dk)

IMT Registration & Exams (imt-exams@ruc.dk)

U60336

In this course students develop abilities to analyse and critically reflect on urban project management and urban development initiatives. The course consists of workshops focusing on various aspects of project management for sustainable urban development, which includes an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach.

Sessions are related to empirical cases that may be in Denmark or international. Where possible during the course, real cases will be used, i.e., meeting with representatives of the case to allow direct discussion of urban challenges.

Different models for managing large-scale and complex urban development projects will be analyzed, including various forms of collaboration between the public sector and private investors. A topic of particular attention will be how diverging interests of public and private actors can be mediated and aligned. The challenges of keeping political ambitions during several years is another topic of interest.

Concrete management tools will be trained in the workshops, including milestone-plans, multi-stakeholder analysis and risk analysis. The main components in leading and coordinating project management teams will be identified through a particular case. Where possible during the course, real cases will be used, i.e., meeting with representatives of the case to allow direct discussion of urban challenges. Site visits to recent and ongoing urban development projects in the Copenhagen region is included in the course (site visits considered: Nærheden, Carlsberg, Tingbjerg, Ørestad, Musicon).

Readings for each session are provided on Moodle 14 days before each session

Key references

Bibri, S. (2018) Managing Urban Complexity: Project and Risk Management and Polycentric and Participatory Governance. In Bibri, S. (Ed.) Smart Sustainable Cities of the Future. Springer. Bruns-Berentelg, J., Noring, L. & A. Grydehøj (2020) Developing urban growth and urban quality: Entrepreneurial governance and urban redevelopment projects in Copenhagen and Hamburg. Urban Studies.

Flyvbjerg, B. (2015) More on the dark side of planning: Response to Richard Bolan. CITIES, 42. Loufrani-Fedida, S., & Missonier, S. (2015). The project manager cannot be a hero anymore! Understanding critical competencies in project-based organizations from a multilevel approach. International Journal of Project Management, 33(6), 1220-1235.

Majoor, S. (2018) Coping with ambiguity: An urban megaproject ethnography. Progress in Planning, vol. 120, pages 1-28.

Majoor, S. (2015) Urban Megaprojects in Crisis? Ørestad Copenhagen Revisited. European Planning Studies, vol. 23, issue 12.

Moore, M. H., & Khagram, S. (2004). On creating public value. What Businesses Might Learn from Government about Strategic Management. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Working Paper, (3).

Parker, P., & Madureira, A. M. (2016). Housing context and legitimacy in the transformation of a stigmatized estate: the case of Rosengård. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 1- 16.

Savini, F., Majoor, S., & Salet, W. (2017). Dilemmas of Planning: Intervention, Regulation and Investment. In F. Savini, & W. Salet (Eds.), Planning Projects in Transition: Interventions, Regulations and Investments (pp. 26-43). Jovis.

Yang, R. J. (2014) An investigation of stakeholder analysis in urban development projects: Empirical or rationalistic perspectives. International Journal of Project Management, 31. 838-849.

5 ECTS = 135 Hours

The proposed study intensity for a student in this activity: 135 hours

These 135 hours are distributed in the following way: Lectures and field-trips: 30 Preparation for lectures and discussions: 55 Exam (portfolio) preparation: 50

Teaching and learning activities

The workshops combine lectures with class discussions based around readings and lecture materials. Participants are also asked to present materials during the classes. Further details will be discussed with participants at the start of the course and uploaded to Moodle.

Teaching activities takes place on campus.

1-2 site visits in the Copenhagen region will be conducted.

Evaluation is via an anonymous online survey distributed to all participants at the end of course. The course will also be discussed with participants in the final session and reviewed at the NUPS Education Committee with input from student representatives.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Independently reflect on different aspects of urban development processes in terms of their impact on human well-being, the local economy and the environment

• Analyse urban leadership and managerial challenges in urban development initiatives

• Jointly explore and analyse concrete urban projects in relation to overall urban development strategies

• Critically assess and advise on the management of urban development initiatives.

Group portfolio exam

Permitted group size: 2-5 students. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.

Assignments written by a group must be individualised.

The portfolio is written partially during the course.

The character limit of the portfolio is:
For 2 students: maximum12,000 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: maximum16,800 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: maximum19,200 characters, including spaces.
For 5 students: maximum24,000 characters, including spaces.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time.

Assessment: Pass/Fail.
Moderation: Internal co-assessor.

Group portfolio exam

Permitted group size: 2-5 students. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.

Assignments written by a group must be individualised.

The portfolio is written after the course has ended.

The character limit of the portfolio is:
For 2 students: maximum12,000 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: maximum16,800 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: maximum19,200 characters, including spaces.
For 5 students: maximum24,000 characters, including spaces.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude appendices.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time.

Assessment: Pass/Fail
Moderation: Internal co-assessor

The exam form is a portfolio. The portfolio is produced partially during the course. The portfolio is a product in writing, including illlustrations (e.g. Word or Powerpoint), where a specific assignment related to the field-trips is completed. It also includes reflections, in writing and/or illustrations, on selected themes from the course literature.

Assessment criteria

It will be assessed to which degree the student demonstrates the ability to:

• Critically analyze and reflect on various aspects of urban project management for sustainable urban development.

• Critically analyze and reflect on different models for managing complex urban development projects.

• Suggest relevant project management tools for different types of challenges related to urban projects.

The use of GAI in the exam

In this course, generative AI tools (GAI) are allowed in the work on the exam if their use is declared.

You must clearly indicate how you have used generative artificial intelligence (GAI). This can, for example, be included as part of a methodology section or as a brief statement at the end of your exam paper. This means that you must describe how you have used GAI, for example, for preparatory work on the assignment, to ask questions, search and process information, receive feedback and critique on your text, perform proofreading, or improve language and readability. It is important that you actively consider your choice of tools in this way, as it is part of the entire creation process of the assignment and thus part of your scientific method and academic communication.

The use of any specific text that is GAI-generated requires citation, just like the use of any other sources from which direct quotes are taken.

In the library's guide, you can see more about how to cite AI and how you can declare your use of GAI. The use of GAI must always be within the framework of Roskilde University's guidelines for using GAI.