• apply the concept of smart cities;
• Identify and analyze relevant problems and challenges in relation to the theme of the course;
• analyze and organize a multidisciplinary task and integrate different viewpoints;
• effectively gather local data.

The Helsinki-Copenhagen Urban Challenge is offered simultaneously by Copenhagen Business School and Aalto University. Students from both universities spend two weeks together in Helsinki and two weeks in Copenhagen. All students who attend the course are offered a student grant of 275 EURO. The course contents are innovative, practice-oriented and transdisciplinary. Student performance will be assessed according to learning objective specific to their home institutions.

Course Context

The vision of the Helsinki-Copenhagen Urban Challenge is to create a trans-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and cross-cultural learning experience for students, researchers, and practitioners. One of today’s core concepts in solving urban challenges is the concept of smart cities. By collecting and analyzing data from the physical environments and inhabitants, it is possible to improve sustainability and people’s everyday lives. Both Copenhagen and Helsinki meet the key requirements for a smart city in a number of ways. There is political vision and willingness to invest and research in smart cities and a strong culture of innovation. Big data is also available for public and private sectors.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is a key issue for smart cities. The Helsinki-Copenhagen Urban Challenge will explore critically the concept on smart cities and the parallels and variety of approaches for how it is being implemented in Helsinki and Copenhagen. It will also particularly study the convergence of sector approaches with examples in transport, buildings and street illumination related to smart cities solutions. It will offer students the opportunity to conduct a comparative examination of stakeholder perspectives, user and marketing studies with projects, land use and transportation issues.

Course description

The course will consist of a number of interrelated tasks. The overall task will be to make a comparative analysis of the scope and practical ways in which Helsinki and Copenhagen represent smart cities. Typical smart city issues deal with transport, energy use and built environment. In practice, that means among other things, illumination, mobility and accessibility. One important but, in many case neglected issue in urban planning, and where elements of transport, energy use and built environment converge can be found around (car) parking. The students will acquaint themselves with planning and the administrative context of both cities, and with the role of smart city solutions in the development of new residential areas. By understanding critical dimensions and the larger context of smart cities, and the ways in which the cities can promote a development towards smarter solutions, the students will engage in a number of interrelated smart city questions.

After the course students will be able to:

• Discuss the concept of smart cities from an urban planning perspective

• Identify and critically analyze relevant problems and challenges in relation to the pre-selected theme of the course

• Effectively gather local data in Helsinki and Copenhagen

• Analyze and organize a practical project and integrate multidisciplinary viewpoints

Course structure

The Helsinki-Copenhagen Urban Challenge proceeds during three weeks, including one and a half weeks of exchange in Helsinki followed by a similar period in Copenhagen. The stay in Helsinki and Copenhagen is structured through lectures, company and site visits, group and field work, and project presentation. During the group work, students work on the specific course task. The groups will consist of cross-institutional teams. Participants are expected to take part in all planned activities, and help make the Helsinki-Copenhagen Urban Challenge a great experience for everyone, - both academically and culturally. Each student will hand in a final individual report one week after the course.

Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements. However, we do provide a student travelling grant of 275 EURO per student.