"Sustainable Urban Heritage: Contemporary Challenges and Pathways in Historic Landscape Conservation" is a public elective for undergraduate students across disciplines. The course explores how historic landscapes contribute to sustainable urban development amid climate change, urbanization, and social transformation. Aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda, it emphasizes connections to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Drawing on architecture, urban planning, environmental science, sociology, and policy, students gain tools to analyze heritage conservation’s role in sustainability. Topics include the cultural, ecological, and social values of historic landscapes; climate and urban threats; equity and community involvement; and innovative practices like adaptive reuse, green technologies, and digital preservation. Through case studies, discussions, design workshops, and a final project, students engage in hands-on learning and develop practical, SDG-aligned conservation strategies. The course promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, creative thinking, and a deeper appreciation for heritage in building resilient, inclusive cities. Ideal for students in architecture, planning, environmental studies, and humanities, it welcomes all academic backgrounds. By course end, students will be equipped to design and assess sustainable heritage strategies, contributing to a more equitable and environmentally conscious urban future.

Instructor 1（PI）: Fei Mo

Professor Fei Mo has long explored the evolution, planning, and conservation of blue–green infrastructure within high-density urban environments. Beyond Shanghai, she has professional research and practice experience in landscape history, planning and conservation in Paris (France), Irkutsk (Russia), London and Sheffield (UK), Washington D.C. and Seattle (USA), and the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador). She was a Summer Fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University in 2013, and was a Visiting Professor of The University of Washington in Seattle in 2024. She has long-term experience teaching landscape history, conservation and management. She currently serves as an Associate Member of ICOMOS-IFLA-International Scientific Committee of Cultural Landscapes, as well as a Trustee of Landscape Research Guild in the UK.

Instructor 2: Ian Mell

Professor Ian Mell is the Head of Department, Planning, Property & Environmental Management in School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), The University of Manchester. He is one of the UK’s leading academic researchers working on Green Infrastructure planning, urban greening, and landscape policy examining the relationship between policy/practice in the discussion, development and evaluation of urban greening. This provides scope to evaluate the changing landscape of planning policy and its impacts upon the delivery of sustainable or meaningful places. Ian's work focusses on issues of Green Infrastructure financing, the role of perceptions in sustainable cities, and the influence of various actors on the decision-making process for environmental management. Part of this process is developing a better understanding of how rhetoric and delivery differ in the planning and management of cities. 

Instructor 3: James Hayter

Professor James Hayter formerly served as President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). He is also a professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Adelaide in Australia. As the founder of the South Australian landscape and urban design practice Oxigen, he has accumulated extensive practical experience in landscape projects. Among his notable works are the Central Park in Canberra, Australia, as well as the emerging "Global District" Lot Fourteen and the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide. Professor Hayter is dedicated to creating healthy and sustainable cities through practice. He is widely recognized as a leading figure in the fields of landscape architecture and urban design in Australia, known for his forward-thinking industry insights and practical expertise. He advocates that landscape architects should take responsibility for coordinating safety, fostering inclusivity, connecting communities, and working in harmony with nature—providing ample green space and clean water, and creating healthy outdoor public spaces.

Critical Understanding of Urban Historic Landscapes


Students will develop the ability to define, analyze, and interpret urban historic landscapes, recognizing their cultural, social, and environmental significance within cities. This includes understanding how heritage contributes to sustainable urban development.

Integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Heritage Practice


Students will learn to connect heritage conservation with the United Nations SDGs, particularly those related to cities, climate action, and reduced inequalities. They will gain skills in assessing how heritage initiatives can support global sustainability targets.

Assessment of Climate and Urban Risks to Heritage


Students will acquire the ability to evaluate how climate change and urban pressures threaten historic landscapes, while also identifying opportunities for heritage to contribute to climate resilience and adaptive urban planning.

Promotion of Inclusive and Community-Centered Conservation


Students will gain skills in fostering socially equitable heritage practices, including engaging communities in conservation efforts and understanding heritage as a tool for preserving cultural identity and promoting social cohesion.

Application of Innovative and Integrated Conservation Strategies


Students will learn to design and implement sustainable heritage conservation solutions using adaptive reuse, green technologies, digital tools, and SDG-aligned frameworks, preparing them to contribute to forward-thinking urban development projects.

(1) Class participation and discussion 25%
(2) Group work: SDG case study investigation 35%
(3) Group work: Heritage conservation framework presentation 35%
(4) Course attendance and submission of assignments 5%

Year 2-3 Undergraduate Students from all disciplines 

Dr. Fei Mo. fei_mo@sjtu.edu.cn