For the first time in human history, more people lived in cities than not in 2007. This trend of urban-dwelling is projected to reach 70% by the year 2050. Meanwhile, the pace of technological innovation centered in cities far outpaces traditional infrastructure -- the foundations of our built environment.

Cities are the most complex things humanity has created. As such they require cross-disciplinary study and praxis. CU Denver, a university in the CU system embedded in a growing, thriving city, is well-positioned to address this complexity, disentangling seeming contradictions in our received notions of what cities are and what they can be in the future. Data analysis, advances in simulation and modeling, breakthroughs in materials science and transportation, and instrumented infrastructure change the way we know our urban world.

Why pursue a micro-credential in Smart Cities?

The Smart Cities micro-credential program is an interdisciplinary program designed for working or aspiring professionals and upper-level students interested in expanding their knowledge base in the fields of emerging urban technologies, data science, sustainable design, and public-private partnerships.

Specifically, the certificate has sequences designed for current public sector professionals aiming to expand their understanding of the impact of data and technology on their careers; technologists and entrepreneurs who understand the growth and potential of the urban domain as a market of unsolved problems; and architects and planners who understand that technology is not simply a tool but a medium that must be designed for like other aspects of the lived urban experience.

The first badges of the Smart Cities graduate certificate launch in Fall 2023 and can be sequenced according to students' interests and goals. The badges are online-only, asynchronously delivered, four-week installments available to non-degree or degree-seeking students with flexible entry. Initial badges offered include Foundations of the Smart City, Technologies of the Smart City, Building the Smart City, and Living in the Smart City.

Initial badges offered include:

• Foundations of the Smart City: The Foundations badge explores the history of "smart" cities and what has enabled them to succeed or fail. Special attention is paid to matters of civic and community engagement as focal points of technological innovation. Finally the implications on governance, personal privacy, and equity -- often considered secondary by technologists -- are centered and explored as primary drivers in problem-solving.

• Technologies of the Smart City: The Technologies badge explores recent developments in software and hardware and their implications for the urban experience. Open data, analytics, machine learning, the Internet of Things, and advanced mobility (electric, autonomous, and connected vehicles) are reviewed from a non-technical perspective.

• Building the Smart City: The Building badge explores areas of smart city design and development not traditionally considered central. These include the growing field of urban science, urban gaming and simulation, the economics/financing of smart city projects, and finally trends in architecture and construction relevant to next-generation, technology-assisted cities.

• Living in the Smart City: The Living badge explores aspects of urban technologies that affect quality of life. Energy, sustainability, resiliency, public health, and public safety are all considered through the lens of technologies that may accelerate or impede personal and collective goals. Finally, a review of emerging technologies and trends is provided as a possible roadmap for the future.

All students must register within the university registration windows listed below:

• Spring 2024: November 17, 2023 – January 31, 2024. All courses must be completed between January 16, 2024, and May 11, 2024.

• Summer 2024: March 1, 2024 – June 11, 2024. All courses must be completed between June 3, 2024, and July 27, 2024.

• Fall 2024: Registration dates TBD.  All courses must be completed between August 19, 2024, and December 14, 2024.

Pricing:

• Students: For existing students, you will be charged consistently with credit hours for university registration.

• Non-students: Each module is $400 (there are 4 modules in total) and will be paid after you submit your application, and before you begin the self-paced courses. The first class is offered free of charge as it is a required pre-requisite class.