INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL PRINCIPLES, PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION
COURSE BACKGROUND
Achieving true sustainability extends beyond city limits, demanding a holistic approach to regional development. Integrating sustainable principles into regional planning and transportation systems is crucial for balanced growth, preserving natural resources, ensuring food security, and creating livable communities. Many planners and policymakers, however, grapple with the complexity of aligning these interconnected elements effectively.
ECAS Institute offers this course to provide a foundational introduction to sustainable regional principles, planning concepts, and the evaluation of regional transportation issues. We believe that understanding the dynamics between growth priorities, community involvement, and infrastructure development is key to fostering resilient and equitable regions.
This training utilizes dynamic video lectures, practical case studies, and discussions to explore vital topics such as the regional plan, community engagement, development transects, and strategies for balanced growth. By addressing crucial elements like housing, food security, rural preservation, and multi-modal transportation, ECAS aims to equip participants with the knowledge to drive sustainable regional development.
COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Formulate the relationship between regional principles, smart growth, and sustainability.
- Evaluate growth priorities, community involvement, and scale of governance to achieve sustainable smart growth.
- Evaluate and explain regional mapping of rural preserves, rural reserves, neighborhoods, and districts as important tools in regional smart growth planning.
- Describe the implications of mapping corridors and regional centers to the overall smart growth planning at the regional level.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
This course will provide students with an introduction to sustainable regional principles, regional planning concepts, and evaluate regional transportation system issues. This will be achieved through dynamic video lectures, practical case studies, and the evaluation of practices for success. These will include discussions of:
- The importance of the regional plan.
- How to engage community involvement.
- The importance of understanding a development transect.
- Strategies for growth priorities, along with consideration of available housing and food security.
- The concepts of providing a rural preserve and a rural reserve.
- Mapping of key aspects of the region, such as neighborhoods and districts.
- Evaluation of regional transportation systems, including multi-mobile balance and building choices into the transportation system modes.
- Considerations for including a regional railway system along with accommodating user mobility and accessibility.
DURATION AND PROGRAM
This is a structured training course designed to introduce participants to sustainable regional principles, planning concepts, and transportation system issues. The program will incorporate dynamic video lectures, practical case studies, and discussions to facilitate learning. The detailed program schedule, including specific session timings and practical exercises, will be communicated prior to the training commencement.
TARGET PARTICIPANTS
This course is designed for students and professionals interested in regional planning, urban development, and sustainable infrastructure. Ideal participants include:
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Environmental Managers
- Local and Regional Government Officials
- Transportation Engineers and Planners
- Community Development Professionals
- Academics and Students in urban studies, geography, environmental science, and public administration.
TRAINING MODULES
The course is structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of sustainable regional principles, planning concepts, and transportation system integration:
| No | Module | Details | |
| 1. | Sustainable Regional Fundamentals |
This module will evaluate important regional issues that provide part of the foundation for a sustainable city. Regional principles will be evaluated in the context of developing a regional plan for sustainability.
The key topics include;
|
|
| 2. | Regional Planning Including Developmental Priorities |
This module will address issues related to neighborhood strategies for protecting the natural context of the neighborhood as well as the importance of the different components necessary to have a welcoming and functional neighborhood. Structures will also be evaluated as an important part of the character of the neighborhood.
The key topics include:
|
|
| 3. | Regional Transportation System and the Land-Use Connection |
This module will evaluate sustainable options for the important physical components for the transportation infrastructure within the region.
The key topics include:
|
|
| 4. | Case Study: Global Best Practices in Sustainable Regional Planning |
This module will evaluate sustainable options for the important physical components for the transportation infrastructure within global best practices.
The key topics include;
|
|
TRAINING STYLE
The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.
The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.
The conference faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.
GENERAL NOTES
- Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
- Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.
- We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
- Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training and proof of payment sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.
ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE
The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focusses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solution, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems, We are located in Nairobi Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and USA.