Sustainability Essentials
for Built Environment Professionals
Master urban sustainability basics and tackle climate change through your projects with this half-day training
"It's incredibly inspiring to get a glimpse of all the changes that are already happening and the course convinced me even more that this is the way in which I want to steer my career towards."
- Alana, moving into a sustainability career
"This is the perfect intro to all things sustainability, clearly setting out the challenge at the global level and how we as designers can tackle this through the design of streets and buildings.”
- George, Urban Designer in London
"Ross brings examples and tips on very practical things to look at when designing a project - at different levels of complexity - most of them commonly overlooked. I couldn't recommend it enough!"
- Juliana, Urbanist in São Paulo
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A concise online course that will take you from feeling overwhelmed to empowered
What's included:
Your Instructor: Ross O'Ceallaigh
Hi, I'm Ross. I'm an urban designer, sustainability educator and podcast host. For 5 years I've been helping built environment professionals to upskill in sustainability through the Green Urbanist podcast and in online and in-person training events.
Back in 2019, I realised I needed to shift my career focus to sustainability. The problem was, I didn't know where to start. Sustainability is such a huge topic and I the information I needed was spread out across the web and in books and lectures.
I've spent years reading books, research papers and industry reports. I've interviewed over 85 experts on my podcast. I even went back to university to study a Masters degree in Sustainability and Ecology!
Now I'm packaging up all the essential information about sustainability that I wish I had access to back when I was starting out. I want to save you the hassle and time and help you jumpstart your sustainability-focused career with this course.
Course Curriculum
Free Sample Lesson from the Course
Here's one of the video lessons from the course, which you can watch for free.
Net Zero Carbon Made Simple
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
If you’re an architect, planner or other built environment professional, you know that sustainability has risen to the top of the agenda. And you might be noticing that the weather in the last few years has been getting more extreme and unpredictable.
The good news is you’re motivated to integrate sustainability into your work and make a positive difference through your projects. The bad news is: it’s hard to know where to start!
If you’re like me, you might have started reading books or attending events about climate change and sustainable design. But the flood of information can just leave you feeling more anxious and scattered.
I can relate! I spent the last 5 years studying the climate and biodiversity crises - and more importantly - how we as built environment professionals can respond effectively. I’ve interviewed over 85 experts on the Green Urbanist podcast and have delivered dozens of training events on topics relating to urban design and sustainability.
Now I want to save you the hassle and time by packaging up the essential information you need to know to kickstart your own sustainability-focused career. This course is what I wish I had when I first started my sustainability journey.
Go from overwhelmed to empowered
Sustainability Essentials for Built Environment Professionals is a concise online course that will take you from feeling overwhelmed to empowered. Through a series of short and compelling video lessons, the course explains key concepts like Net Zero Carbon, Circular Economy and Regenerative Design, and give you the confidence to move forward with implementing sustainability in your work.
The course won’t make you an expert. It will give you a holistic and generalist understanding of sustainability so you can understand the big picture and figure out where you can have the most impact.
It’s for architects, planners, landscape professionals, developers and other built environment specialists who do not have a background in sustainability but who want take meaningful climate action in their career.
You don’t need to have a science or technical background. The course is delivered in plain English and all terminology is explained clearly.
I know you’re busy! That’s why the course is split up into short video lessons, totalling less than 3 hours. You can complete it in one sitting or spread it out over a few days when you have free moments to spare.
Testimonials from past students
"This is a concise course that covers all you need to know as a professional who wishes to begin the journey and put into practice initiatives for a more sustainable built environment, or even if you're just an urban enthusiast.
Ross brings examples and tips on very practical things to look at when designing a project - at different levels of complexity - most of them commonly overlooked. It also brings references for further reading and research. I couldn't recommend it enough!"
Juliana, Urbanist in São Paulo.
"I followed this course as a preparation for a job interview. It has been really helpful for me to expand my general knowledge on the topic, and it's a perfect starting point to dive in deeper, thanks to the many links provided with each lesson.
It's incredibly inspiring to get a glimpse of all the changes that are already happening and the course/ Ross convinced me even more that this is the way in which I want to steer my career towards. If I don't succeed in getting this job, I'll for sure keep reading based on the information provided here and I'll keep on applying for jobs in this direction. Thank you!”
Alana
“Sustainability can be a confusing term meaning different things to different people. So much has been written and said so where do you start? Luckily, Ross has done fantastic job at distilling such a broad topic into something bite-sized and accessible and his passion and knowledge for the topic is clear to see.
This is the perfect intro to all things sustainability, clearly setting out the challenge at the global level and how we as designers can tackle this through the design of streets and buildings.”
George, Urban designer in London
"The course is perfectly structured and the contents can be easily (for the most part) followed and understood even by students/professionals who are not expert in those subjects. I definitely recommend it to anyone who would like to build a career in this area of expertise or just to know more about it!"
Past student
"Ross' course really helped me gain a better perspective on certain challenges and viewpoints on what is like in overall sustainable development and urban studies"
Dannielle, Student in Chicago