Sustainable Urban Systems
Delft, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Dates – August 2–23, 2025
- Max Enrollment – 25
- Taught In – English
- Prerequisites – Yes
- Academic Area – Civil and Environmental Engineering
Program Overview
The Netherlands is known for wooden shoes, windmills and Stroopwaffles. However, Dutch infrastructure and sustainability are globally famous. This course examines Dutch water and transportation systems to learn about sustainable systems in practice. The Dutch transportation system encourages cycling and transit usage by residents of all ages and cycling levels of comfort and provides good examples of protected bicycle infrastructure, traffic calming, transit network design, and transit and bicycle integration. Dutch water management is also world-famous, with among the most rigorous approaches to flood protection and the safeguarding of water resources, in addition to design and operation for environmental benefits. These two sustainable civil infrastructure design examples provide excellent case studies in sustainable development and lessons for California, the U.S. and the world more generally.
Program Contacts
- Program Coordinator – Ellen Ercolini
- Instructors – Kari Watkins and Jay Lund
Program Highlights
- Visit the modern engineering marvel of the Delta Works, enormous flood management structures.
- Experience first-hand how the Dutch build their roads to encourage stress-free cycling.
- Tour with Sustainable Amsterdam to learn about land management practices in the famous city.
- Bike around Houten, Cycling City of the Netherlands, to see how their city centers on trains and bikes.
- Learn how the Dutch meet environmental and climate challenges in a land below sea level.
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