Urban Governance: Resilient and Smart Cities

Urban Governance: Resilient and Smart Cities

Introduction

With the majority of today’s world population living in cities, cities have become the engines of development and innovation. However, this urban growth also means that cities are confronted with many of the world’s challenges: poverty and inequality, migration, natural disasters, health crises and the consequences of climate change. Improving urban resilience by applying smart city solutions will enhance the development of inclusive cities capable of coping with present and future challenges.

This course discusses frameworks, strategies and tools to strengthen cities’ resilience: their ability to absorb and recover from internal and external shock, maintain their essential functions and adapt and thrive in the face of continual change. The course also covers smart city solutions by examining the role data and innovative technologies play in enhancing the efficiency of city systems and ultimately, urban resilience. Furthermore, we will explore how to build scenarios for inclusive cities and apply the principle of Leaving No One and No Place Behind, and we will discuss the ethics of smart city projects, paying attention to the unintended consequences of adopting smart solutions, such as the digital divide, cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Finally, we will look into how ‘post-COVID’ cities can use technologies to reinforce physical interactions, shared systems, services and spaces, and define the ‘blended cities’ of the future.

 

Key Information

This course is intended for professionals involved in urban governance and development such as city planners and urban policy makers. Participants come from national, regional and local governments, NGOs, knowledge institutes and donot and development organisations. 

The course will take place in The Hague from 09 June 2025 to 20 June 2025. The deadline for applications is . The scholarship application period is from 14 August 2024 to 07 October 2024.

The course fee is € 3,895*. This includes all training related costs as well as drinks and warm lunches during the training days. Group discounts are available if you participate with three or more colleagues.

This training takes place in The Hague, Netherlands.

After this course, you will receive a professional certificate of completion from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.

*Professionals working in local government or for local NGOs on the DAC list of ODA-recipient countries (OECD) may qualify for a reduced course fee. Contact us for details.

Learning objectives

This course will help you:

Assess the vulnerability of cities by using resilience strategies and frameworks;

Develop strategies and policies to increase resilience in an inclusive and participatory manner;

Make use of data and innovative technologies to design smart solutions, in an ethical and effective way;

And mobilise key stakeholders to establish sustainable partnerships.

Experience

Study visits will take place to the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, the Province of South Holland, The Hague Municipality, Amsterdam Urban Ecosystem, Smart City Amsterdam and the Rotterdam Global Center on Adaptation. In addition to that, you will learn about best practices from other parts of the world.

Practical information

Find the practical information for the course here.

  • Payment

    After submitting your completed application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. Once we have assessed your application and admitted you to the course, we will send you an invoice with payment details.

    Payments can be made by bank transfer or by PayPal request. We offer the option of paying in one or two instalments. An advance payment of 50% secures the reservation of a seat at the training until the payment deadline. Your participation in the course is guaranteed only after receipt of full payment.

    Please note that The Hague Academy accepts registrations on a first-paid, first-served policy.

  • Visa Applications

    Some countries require a visa to enter the Netherlands. Please check with The Netherlands or the embassy for the visa requirements related to your country. Because of the length of time needed for the visa procedure, we advise you to start this process as soon as possible. Once we have received your payment for the course, The Hague Academy will send you an acceptance letter which will assist you in arranging your visa to The Netherlands.

  • Cancellation

    Under certain circumstances, participants may need to cancel their participation in the course. For cancellations before the payment deadline, we will reimburse the paid amounts minus an administration fee of €350.

    To prevent late cancellation, we strongly encourage you to start with your visa application procedure at least six weeks before the start of the training programme.

    We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% of the course fee for participants cancelling between four and two weeks prior to the start of the training. If you cancel your participation within the two-week period before the start of the course, then you have to pay 80% of the course fee.

    No-show will result in paying 100% of the course fee.

    It is always possible to nominate a suitably qualified candidate to replace you without extra charge, in the event that you cannot attend the course.

    The Hague Academy for Local Governance reserves the right to cancel a course if the number of participants is insufficient or due to any other unforeseen circumstances. In this case, your payment will be 100% reimbursed. Other costs such as transportation or hotel cannot be reimbursed.

Scholarships

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers MSP scholarships for training courses in the Netherlands. The MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) aims to enhance the skills, instincts, and abilities of professionals, empowering their organizations and communities to thrive in an ever-changing world.

For more information and eligibility criteria, please visit our Scholarships page. Note that scholarships have a separate application process.

Scholarships page

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