The concepts of urbanism and urban planning have been around for as long as cities have existed. Compared to the 1800s, when only 3% of the population resided in urban areas, today’s situation would have probably appeared unimaginable.
Cities become more complex
Nowadays almost half of the world lives in cities, and the UN estimates that in less than 15 years, 3 out of 5 people will be inhabiting an urban environment. As cities become more complex over time, the role and the demand for urban development experts is also transforming. Spatial issues and basic functionality, despite of remaining prerequisites, are no longer the singular focus.
Imagine the city like a big playground, with thousands of types of players and rules. Each player or stakeholder has their own interests and there has to be a way for everyone’s needs to be met. Urban developers must connect the dots between the social and demographic aspects, economy, infrastructure capacity and use of resources, environment and wellbeing of the population, making sure that all these particularities are being handled accordingly and in a synergy that supports and reaps the benefits of growth.
Besides that, modern cities have to do a lot more than just exist: the economy evolves so fast boosted by urban changes, that the competition has gone global. Cities are compelled to make sure they expand beyond their own internal market, so that they are able to reinvest in their own development.
The role of urban professionals
In front of all these issues, urban professionals have become a must-have for any city, even smaller towns, which have to support their growth on a different level. With such a rate of urbanization, not only does necessity for a higher number of experts become obvious, but also specialized knowledge comes to be a valuable asset. Professionals like urban land, infrastructure or environment and public space experts, are on the high demand end. These circumstances create a substantial demand also in the education field. Urban management and development has become an extremely popular area of study, and knowledge institutions like IHS continuously face a significantly number of candidates from all over the world. For two years in a row, the Urban Management and Development Master programme reached maximum capacity before the official closing deadline. This is why we strongly advise potential candidates to finalize your application before the 10th of May. If you want to benefit from the Early Bird discount, you should complete the tuition payment before June 1st 2019.
Please note: this procedure doesn't apply to you if you are currently awaiting your scholarship application results or in the process of applying for a scholarship.
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Photo credit: Peter Schmidt