101-0509-10L  Infrastructure Planning

Courses

Catalogue data

Abstract	Spatial planners ensure our built environment optimally meets our future needs. This course explains how spatial planners can evaluate proposed modifications to network infrastructure when there is substantial future uncertainty with respect to requirements, and how to develop implementation plans taking into consideration asset life cycles.
Learning objective	Spatial planners ensure our built environment optimally meets our future needs. This is challenging, as the built environment is a large and complex system, which interacts extensively with the natural environment. Additionally, there is considerable uncertainty with respect to the expectations of the built environment in the future, due to the uncertain environment in which we live, e.g. changing technologies and the changing climate. It is in the face of this complexity and uncertainty that spatial planners need to propose potential improvements and defend them convincingly to a large and diverse set of stakeholders. The objective of this course is to provide spatial planners with a methodology to systematically take into consideration the future uncertainty in infrastructure requirements when proposing changes to the built environment. This involves the identification of key uncertainties, modelling their effect on infrastructure requirements and assessing how changes in future needs and the environment may affect future decisions. This methodology can be used together with the state of the existing infrastructure assets to develop optimal implementation plans. More specifically, upon completion of the course students will understand how: - to identify and quantify the service being provided by the built environment - to construct an objective function to be used in the evaluation of proposed modifications to estimate changing societal needs and their potential effect on required infrastructure - to develop concepts for flexible/robust infrastructure alongside traditional infrastructure - to simulate future scenarios to evaluate the costs and effects on the service provided over time by infrastructure - to estimate the service provided by existing infrastructure now and in the future - to determine optimal dynamic intervention plans taking into consideration changing needs and changing infrastructure.
Content	The course consists of 5 lectures, 5 help sessions and 4 presentation / evaluation sessions. The two hour weekly lecture period is used as follows: 1-Introduction – This lecture provides an introduction to the course and why it is useful in helping spatial planners propose and evaluate modifications to the built environment. The requirements for successful completion of the course are discussed. 2-Changing needs – Arguments for modifying the built environment are built on meeting the future needs of stakeholders. This week we present how to identify, quantify and value the service provided by the built environment. The measures of service, along with intervention costs are used to construct an objective function to be used in the evaluation of proposed modifications. We also discuss how to estimate future needs and how they change over time 3-Evaluating robust and flexible infrastructure – In the face deep future uncertainty it is useful to have either robust infrastructure, i.e., infrastructure that meets a large range of possible future needs, or flexible infrastructure, i.e. infrastructure that can be easily modified to meet different possible future needs. This week we discuss the concepts of robustness and flexibility and demonstrate their roles in maximizing the net-benefit of infrastructure. We also present a methodology that helps you develop robust and flexible infrastructure and evaluate their costs and benefits over time. 4-Simulating the uncertain future – As a key aspect to evaluating robust and flexible infrastructure is simulating what might happen in the future, this week, we explain how use Monte Carlo simulations and conduct an in class exercise so that you have an enhanced understanding of how it is done. 5-Maintenance – In proposing changes to infrastructure it is useful to know when maintenance is required, as it is easier to justify expenditures when a maintenance intervention is planned than immediately afterwards, when it is in a like new state. This week we explain how one can estimate when maintenance will be required. 6-10-Help sessions – We use the lecture periods to answer any questions you might have on your project. Your project is due on Friday of week 9. 11-14-Project presentations – In these lecture periods each group will be asked to present their project and be asked to field questions from the lecturers and fellow students. The presentations will be graded by the lecturers. Fellow students will give their impressions of the presentations and ability of the group to answer the questions. The course uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The quantitative analysis required in the project requires at least the use of Excel. Some students, however, prefer to use Python or R.
Lecture notes	• The lecture materials consist of handouts, the slides, and example calculations in Excel. • The lecture materials will be distributed via Moodle two days before each lecture.
Literature	Appropriate literature will be handed out when required via Moodle.
Prerequisites / Notice	This course has no prerequisites.
Competencies	Subject-specific Competencies Concepts and Theories assessed Techniques and Technologies assessed Method-specific Competencies Analytical Competencies assessed Decision-making assessed Problem-solving assessed Project Management assessed Social Competencies Communication assessed Cooperation and Teamwork assessed Personal Competencies Creative Thinking assessed Critical Thinking assessed

Performance assessment

Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course
ECTS credits	3 credits
Examiners	B. T. Adey
Type	graded semester performance
Language of examination	English
Repetition	Repetition only possible after re-enrolling for the course unit.
Admission requirement	None
Additional information on mode of examination	The final grade will only be based on the evaluation of the group project reports and the presentation of the project in class. The project is to be handed by Sunday night in week 9 of the course. The project reports are to be submitted in a digital format to the teaching assistant. The group has one grade for all group members. The project report has a weight of 70%. The presentation of the project has a weight of 30%. Additionally, students can achieve a maximum of 0.25 bonus points by attending all presentations of fellow students and providing them with spontaneous but serious feedback. Details will be explained in class on the first day.

Learning materials

Groups

Restrictions

Offered in

Programme	Section	Type
Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems Master	Compulsory Courses	O