A new set of free online courses has been launched by RMIT Europe to help equip urban planning professionals and city officials to drive the cities we need.

RMIT’s new courses on belonging and inclusive citizen engagement in urban development were developed in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community and the New European Bauhaus (NEB). 

The course Building belonging in a globalised and mobile world (3 weeks, 2 hours) is led by RMIT’s Anna Hickey-Moody and Marissa Willcox. It helps learners explore how building belonging is an integral step in creating healthy neighbourhoods and revitalising a sense of community connection. 

The course Fostering inclusive citizen engagement in urban development (3 weeks, 2 hours) is led by RMIT’s Sarah Sinclair and Alexia Maddox. It takes learners through approaches to citizen engagement in urban development to achieve transformational societal goals. 

RMIT Europe Executive Director Professor Marta Fernandez said the new courses, which are free on FutureLearn, are an easily accessible resource for professionals and city officials to upskill in the urban planning sector.   

"Each course is six hours of learning and can be undertaken at any time over a three-week period. They’re fully online and free, with the option to purchase a completion certificate," Fernandez said.  

"These two courses join a suite of sustainability and urban futures MOOCs and short courses we have developed with EIT Urban Mobility for professionals in urban mobility, planning and design. 

"Across these courses, we’ve seen hundreds of learners share their experiences from cities around the world. Two of the courses were recently recognised for best practice in eLearning at the Australian LearnX Awards 2022," she said.  

"We’re so proud to partner with the EIT Community and the NEB to deliver these courses – they’re a vital step forward in delivering training to shape the cities of tomorrow."

EIT Urban Mobility’s Martin Vendel said the courses are an accessible way for busy professionals and city officials to build critical capability for innovation and transformation, aligned with the framework of the NEB.  

"Regaining a sense of belonging, which is a key focus of the NEB, helps us to rediscover the spirit of a place and reconnect people with their living environments and with the local cultural and history," Vendel said.  

So too is the importance of equal participation of citizens in decision-making and the need for an inclusive approach to what happens in our cities. 

"We see these two new courses putting the principles of the NEB into practice by bringing together a community of professionals and city officials from around the world to learn as well as share their own ideas and experiences," he said.  

The two courses were officially launched by RMIT and members of the EIT Community at the Tomorrow. Mobility World Congress in Barcelona from 15-17 November 2022.