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Unit information: Smart Cities in 2021/22

Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.

Unit name Smart Cities
Unit code CENGM0066
Credit points 10
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Professor. Theo Tryfonas
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

School/department Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

The aims of this unit are for the students to:

• Develop deep insight of a variety of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and urban data that facilitate the delivery of integrated infrastructure (e.g. smart buildings, intelligent transport systems);

• Be able to identify and propose how to use latest developments of ICT and urban data sets within field sectors of Civil and Industrial Engineering (e.g. in design, construction, manufacturing etc.);

• Be able to confidently use computer-based tools and techniques for the analysis and visualisation of built environment and urban data (e.g. Building Information Modelling, transport data analytics etc.).

The unit will explore issues of IT within the infrastructure sector and more specifically how technologies such as sensor networks and the Internet of Things, smart meters, data fusion, information modelling, neural networks, 3D modelling etc. are used to deliver integrated services such as smart transport, sustainable planning, structural health monitoring, intelligent buildings, stakeholder engagement platforms etc.

The unit contents will cover at a broad level the following topics: wireless sensor networks and their applications, smart metering, radio-frequency identification applications, building information modelling, neural computation and artificial neural networks modelling, knowledge representation and management, 3D modelling and CAD with integrated simulation, use of new media for stakeholder engagement etc.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, successful students will:

1. Develop an appreciation for, and have a sound understanding of, a variety of information technologies that facilitate the delivery of integrated infrastructure, including wireless sensor networks, radio frequency identification, artificial neural networks, building information modelling etc.;

2. Be able to analyse in depth, and specify formally, the informational needs of civil and industrial engineering projects; and,

3. Be able to define, at system-level, information architectures that meet the needs of the delivery of integrated infrastructure (smart buildings, intelligent transport systems etc.)

Teaching Information

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, which may include lectures, practical activities supported by drop-in sessions, problem sheets and self-directed exercises.

Assessment Information

The unit will be assessed via a combination of individual (40%) and group coursework (60%), involving two discrete but interconnected elements: a critical analysis of contemporary topics in smart cities (individual essay, ILO 1&2), urban app design and/or prototyping including requirements capture, data analysis and visualisation or coding where applicable (group project, ILO 2&3).

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CENGM0066).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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