In this program students will explore housing, planning and policy issues in European cities as well as consider how these apply in other regions of the world. With a focus on real urban contexts, the course will examine subjects such as neighbourhood development and regeneration, housing finance and policy, urban planning and sustainability, and the impact of household and demographic change. Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most vibrant and attractive cities, providing a fascinating laboratory for the exploration and examination of urban issues.

This programme includes lectures on the following topics:

• City spaces and urban places
• Urban development and redevelopment in a European context
• Homes, housing and household issues
• Neighbourhoods and neighbourhood development
• Housing finance and policy
• Non-profit housing associations
• City living, social segregation and inequality

After engaging with expert faculty and guest lecturers in the morning, participants will go on relevant excursions such as neighbourhood tours throughout Amsterdam and other cities within the Netherlands to gain insight into different urban environments, putting theories learned in class in practice. 

Amber Howard is a researcher in Social Policy at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Her research centers around housing and inequality, with a particular focus on generational and socio-economic divides. She recently completed a joint PhD from the University of Melbourne (Department of Health Policy) and the University of Amsterdam (Department of Geography, Planning, and International Development Studies), exploring these themes. Before her doctoral studies, Amber earned a Masters degree in Urban Planning at the University of Amsterdam (cum laude) and began her career conducting research for an architectural firm focused on sustainable community development. Amber has taught and co-coordinated in Masters programs Urban Planning and Public Health at the University of Melbourne, engaging with interdisciplinary perspectives on urban policy, planning, and justice. She is now the coordinator of the Winter School program Key Topics in Urban Studies, and academic director of the Summer School programs Urban Changemakers and Urban Studies: Planning and Living in Cities.

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