LeadUP Course Aims

LeadUP addresses the need for competent professionals to lead successful digital innovations in cities and will help create professionals equipped with 360-degree competencies for the creation of a more inclusive, liveable and sustainable urban areas.

LeadUP will provide participants with the knowledge and tools required to create public value from a perspective that considers both social and technical dimensions of urban-scale digitalisation initiatives. Participants will learn how to better utilise urban data and emerging digital technologies, informing decision-making in urban planning, management, and public service delivery. They will also learn to lead and manage this digital transformation, working collaboratively with professionals from different disciplinary backgrounds, and linking concepts and methods to deliver feasible digital solutions which produce practical and tangible outcomes for communities.

The PGCert/Dip/MSt Leadership of Urban Digital Innovation for Public Value (LeadUP) aims to:

  1. Produce the next level and future generation of built environment professionals involved in the delivery of digital innovations in cities who are equipped with new thinking on how to develop competencies to effectively plan, design and implement smart city projects aimed at delivering public value.
  2. Equip city managers and built environment professionals with the multidisciplinary knowledge required to deliver digitalisation projects which benefit citizens and communities, spanning engineering, urban planning, leadership, ethics, and responsible innovation to deliver a smart city which benefits the citizens it serves through place-based digital innovation.
  3. Provide participants with the knowledge and tools required to create public value from a perspective that considers both social and technical dimensions of urban-scale digitalisation initiatives (e.g., between digital technologies and changes in urban governance) and their far-reaching implications for creating an inclusive society.
  4. Equip city managers and built environment professionals with the knowledge and skills to lead and manage digital transformation, working collaboratively with professionals from different disciplinary backgrounds, and linking concepts and methods to deliver feasible digital solutions which produce practical and tangible outcomes for communities guided by principles of ethical and responsible digital innovations.

The above will be achieved by taking a sociotechnical approach to understanding the creation of smart cities. In doing so, the course will address the current disciplinary knowledge gaps between city managers, engineers and urban designers. It will equip city managers and built environment professionals with interdisciplinary knowledge required - spanning leadership, engineering, urban planning, ethics, and responsible innovation - to deliver a smart city which benefits the citizens it serves through place-based digital innovation. LeadUP will also provide participants with the tools to develop the competencies required to create public value, enable socio-technical and responsible digital innovation, and ensure improved outcomes for communities.