Urban Designer

The Urban Designer program is focused on human-centred design throughout the problem-solving process. The program teaches students how to develop strategies and solutions that contribute to sustainable urban development, cities and societies, as well as innovation projects and process management.

All courses are led by industry professionals from a variety of organisations, including startups, small and large companies, municipalities, consultants, and communities from for example real estate companies, urban developers, architecture firms, design agencies, innovation hubs, etc. Learning is facilitated through workshops and case studies in each course, applying knowledge directly to projects. Students gain an understanding for the role through presentations with open feedback sessions that provide the opportunity to learn by listening to others, the internship (LIA), and the individual extended project.

• The program teaches students how to visualize (location/flows) and competence in innovation, prototyping, and storytelling. Courses include Human-centered Design, Design Thinking, and Place Branding.
• A core element is to make spaces accessible so that more people feel included, considering the uneven distribution of access to parts of cities due to knowledge gaps. Courses include Sustainable Urban Design & Planning, Strategy, Vision and Mission, Urban Economics, and Quality of Life Value.
• New ideas for addressing contemporary challenges are explored through courses such as Innovation Management for Sustainable Urban Projects, Circular Cities, and facilitation related to stakeholder analysis in the course Cross-disciplinary Collaboration and Planning.

• D-CAB (Design and Communication According to Berghs)
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Planning
• Human Centered Design
• Strategy, Vision and Mission
• Design Thinking
• Sustainable Urban Design and Planning
• Circular Cities
• Urban Economics and Quality of Life Value
• Place Branding
• Innovation Management for Sustainable Urban Projects
• Career
• Elective Courses: Social Sustainable Cities, System Thinking, Urban Transport & Mobility
• Fieldwork/LIA (6 months)
• Individual Extended Project

After the completed program you'll be issued a diploma with grades for each course.

Do I need any prior knowledge?

To apply to the program you need to have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Include

1. Final high school grades
2. CV
3. Complete Application Task

What is the program fee?

Tuition fee
169 000 SEK

The course is tax-free

The work with city planning, urban design and development has accelerated in the past decade driven by digitisation and changing behaviors. Multiple dimensions influence these shifts, and new ways of acting are needed to design and transition to more sustainable societies. Effective urban planning ranges from a local street or public space to an entire city and surrounding areas.

As a key figure in city planning an Urban Designer combines competencies that understand the complexity and possibilities of urban development with the ability to facilitate collaboration. Competency requirements include focus on the human perspective throughout the problem-solving process, creating an understanding of economic, environmental, and social sustainability, competence in sustainable design, developing strategies and solutions, and knowledge of leading innovation work.

You are curious and interested in reading your surroundings to understand what creates quality of life. Your drive to contribute to societal change is manifested through designing and shaping places with perspectives that consider economic, environmental, and social sustainability. You are both strategic and creative, with an interest in solving problems collaboratively. Patience and an understanding that this type of development work requires persistence motivates you, and you are interested in the complexity of the work and the importance of visualizing future scenarios as well as leading processes. Your application task is processed anonymously in the first phase of the application process.

There are several possible professional roles for this program, including Urban Designer, Urban Planner, City Developer, Business Developer, Project Manager.

We see AI as a tool to enhance our skills in communication, creativity, and innovation—always with humans at the center. At Berghs, we don’t teach what AI does; we teach how you can use AI to drive ideas forward, solve challenges, and create lasting value. Working with AI involves both opportunities and responsibilities, which is why it’s important for us to continue exploring AI development.

Read more about our AI policy: https://www.berghs.se/en/about/