The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design has created two new post-baccalaureate certificate programs – ‘Designing Smart and Secure Communities’ and ‘Built and Landscape Heritage; – designed to allow practicing professionals to learn how to design authentic, people-centered cities.
The Designing Smart and Secure Communities certificate combines key concepts of community safety with techniques for building intelligent communities. In addition to classroom study, participants will be mentored in a real-world project.
“The concepts and technologies that make a community secure, including sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence, are the same ones that can help it become a smart community,” says Tom Keenan, professor and director of the post-baccalaureate certificate programs. “Yet, there is always a danger of creating an Orwellian world where privacy is threatened. This unique certificate gives participants the tools to achieve security and smartness, and the wisdom to balance them to create truly intelligent communities.”
The Built and Landscape Heritage certificate encourages students to develop skills related to heritage conservation. Heritage buildings and cultural landscapes are a vital element of sustainable community development as they represent history and culture, and provide a sense of identity for future generations.
“Certificate programs like the two we are announcing today allow our faculty to share advanced knowledge and expertise with practitioners in an efficient and effective manner,” said John Brown, interim dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design. “The topics were selected after consultation with our stakeholders and potential participants. Both of these programs address important unmet professional needs, and they were approved by Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education after rigorous review. Applications are now being accepted, and we look forward to welcoming the first participants early in 2018.”
