ARCH561 Transformation in Urban Centers
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Oct 10, 2025
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Architecture
Nerma Omićević
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course explores sustainable cities and their centers as engines for greening the economy. It deals with shaping the development of urban centers towards a sustainable and prosperous future. students will have the opportunity to examine how visions, experiments and innovations can transform urban areas. Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time. The implications are very wide ranging from the worsening of poverty to the loss of environmental, political, economic, and social security. Using case studies, we will analyze how climate change affects different social groups in city centers, identifying adaptation and mitigation strategies that are currently being implemented.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Global Report on Human Settlements 2011: Cities and Climate Change, Policy Directions. Chapters 1 and 7. United Nations Habitat. Site: www.unhabitat.org; Wamsler, C. and Brink, E., Moving beyond short-term coping and adaptation. Environment and Urbanization, Lund University Publications, 2014, pp. 86-111; Brody, S. et al., Moving from agenda to action: evaluating local climate change action plans, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management Vol. 53 Issue 1, pp. 41-62, 2010; Bassett, E. and Vivek, S. Innovation and Climate Action Planning Perspectives From Municipal Plans, Journal of the American Planning Association Vol. 76, Issue 4, pp. 435-450, 2010; Moser, C., A Conceptual and Operational Framework for Pro-poor Asset Adaptation to Urban Climate Change, In Cities and Climate Change. Ed. Daniel Hoornweg, Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2011:225-255 (e-book in Clio Cat).
Additional Literature
Teaching Methods
Weekly lectures, presentations, and discussions (2 hours per week)
Combination of weekly lectures and presentations, tutorials, and demonstration methods for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress
An interactive/participative method will be emphasized throughout the lecture
Students will develop creative thinking and cognitive strategies to redefine a design problem, formulate strategies for action, gather information, and apply strategies, as well as develop an architectural vocabulary and comprehension of underlying ideas sufficient for intelligent dialogue
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overview of the course content and design task | Global Report |
| 2 | Climate Change, Cities and Urban Planning | Wamsler, C. and Brink, E. |
| 3 | Resilience vs Sustainability? | TBA |
| 4 | Social Dimension | Brody, S. et al. |
| 5 | Gender Dimension | Brody, S. et al. |
| 6 | City Plans of Action | Moser, C. |
| 7 | Climate Change Planning for a Prosperous City | Moser, C.; Bassett, E. and Vivek, S. |
| 8 | Midterm Presentations. | Moser, C. |
| 9 | Cities: Case study | Moser, C. |
| 10 | Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies | Moser, C. |
| 11 | Suistanable Cities | Moser, C. |
| 12 | IN-CLASS PRESENTATIONS | TBA |
| 13 | Housing | Basset, E. & Vivek, S. |
| 14 | The Urban Green | Global Report |
| 15 | Areas for Interaction | Global Report |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
Office Hours & Room
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 4 5 6
In-class presentations
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1
Mid-term evaluation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 3
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 4 ECTS credit course corresponds to 100 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
20 hours ⏳ (10 week × 2 h)
Assignments
20 hours ⏳ (10 week × 2 h)
Home research
50 hours ⏳ (10 week × 5 h)
In-class presentations
2 hours ⏳ (1 week × 2 h)
Final Essay
8 hours ⏳ (2 week × 4 h)
100 Total Workload Hours
4 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [ARCH561] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Oct 10, 2025 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| ARCH561 | Transformation in Urban Centers | 3 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Nerma Omićević | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Wednesday: 9:30-12:00 Thursday: 9:30-12:00 |
|||||||
| nomicevic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course explores sustainable cities and their centers as engines for greening the economy. It deals with shaping the development of urban centers towards a sustainable and prosperous future. students will have the opportunity to examine how visions, experiments and innovations can transform urban areas. Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time. The implications are very wide ranging from the worsening of poverty to the loss of environmental, political, economic, and social security. Using case studies, we will analyze how climate change affects different social groups in city centers, identifying adaptation and mitigation strategies that are currently being implemented. | |||||||||
| Textbook | Global Report on Human Settlements 2011: Cities and Climate Change, Policy Directions. Chapters 1 and 7. United Nations Habitat. Site: www.unhabitat.org; Wamsler, C. and Brink, E., Moving beyond short-term coping and adaptation. Environment and Urbanization, Lund University Publications, 2014, pp. 86-111; Brody, S. et al., Moving from agenda to action: evaluating local climate change action plans, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management Vol. 53 Issue 1, pp. 41-62, 2010; Bassett, E. and Vivek, S. Innovation and Climate Action Planning Perspectives From Municipal Plans, Journal of the American Planning Association Vol. 76, Issue 4, pp. 435-450, 2010; Moser, C., A Conceptual and Operational Framework for Pro-poor Asset Adaptation to Urban Climate Change, In Cities and Climate Change. Ed. Daniel Hoornweg, Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2011:225-255 (e-book in Clio Cat). | |||||||||
| Additional Literature | ||||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Weekly lectures, presentations, and discussions (2 hours per week). Combination of weekly lectures and presentations, tutorials, and demonstration methods for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress. An interactive/participative method will be emphasized throughout the lecture. Students will develop creative thinking and cognitive strategies to redefine a design problem, formulate strategies for action, gather information, and apply strategies, as well as develop an architectural vocabulary and comprehension of underlying ideas sufficient for intelligent dialogue. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | |||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Overview of the course content and design task | Global Report | ||||||||
| Week 2 | Climate Change, Cities and Urban Planning | Wamsler, C. and Brink, E. | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Resilience vs Sustainability? | TBA | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Social Dimension | Brody, S. et al. | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Gender Dimension | Brody, S. et al. | ||||||||
| Week 6 | City Plans of Action | Moser, C. | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Climate Change Planning for a Prosperous City | Moser, C.; Bassett, E. and Vivek, S. | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Midterm Presentations. | Moser, C. | ||||||||
| Week 9 | Cities: Case study | Moser, C. | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies | Moser, C. | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Suistanable Cities | Moser, C. | ||||||||
| Week 12 | IN-CLASS PRESENTATIONS | TBA | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Housing | Basset, E. & Vivek, S. | ||||||||
| Week 14 | The Urban Green | Global Report | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Areas for Interaction | Global Report | ||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 40 | 4,5,6 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| In-class presentations | 1 | 20 | 1 | Not Allowed | |
| Mid-term evaluation | 1 | 40 | 2,3 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 2 | 10 | 20 | Assignments | 2 | 10 | 20 | |||
| Home research | 5 | 10 | 50 | In-class presentations | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Final Essay | 4 | 2 | 8 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 100 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 4 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 20/10/2025 | |||||||||