P ac ice Pape
Recommended ci a ion: Mladeno ic, M., Olin, J., & Joh i, A. (2025). Cen ing
Sus ainabili y o Cu iculum Rede elopmen : Case S udy o a Join Spa ial
Planning and T anspo a ion Enginee ing P og am. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie,
G., Jä inen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53 d Annual Con e ence. Eu opean
Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI), Tampe e, Finland. DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.17631577.
This Con e ence Pape is b ough o you o open access by he 53 d Annual Con e ence
o he Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI) a Tampe e Uni e si y in
Tampe e, Finland. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha e Alike 4.0 In e na ional License.
CENTRING SUSTAINABILITY FOR CURRICULUM
REDEVELOPMENT: CASE STUDY OF A JOINT SPATIAL PLANNING
AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING PROGRAM
M.N. Mladeno ić a,
1
, J.J. Olin b, A. Joh i c,
a Aal o Uni e si y, Espoo, Finland, h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-3746-3573
b Aal o Uni e si y, Espoo, Finland, h ps://o cid.o g/ 0009-0004-6583-4302
c Geo ge Mason Uni e si y, Fai ax, USA, h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-9018-7574
Con e ence Key A eas: Sus ainabili y and socie y in enginee ing; Cu iculum
de elopmen and eme ging cu iculum models in enginee ing
Keywo ds: cu iculum planning; p og am assessmen ; s ong sus ainabili y; u ban
planning; anspo s udies;
ABSTRACT
Sus ainabili y p esen s in ica e challenges, e ealing signi ican gaps be ween
cu en enginee ing capabili ies and socie al needs. P e ious esea ch highligh s
no able p og ess in in eg a ing en i onmen al sus ainabili y wi hin enginee ing
educa ion. Despi e his p og ess, no all disciplina y and in e disciplina y con ex s
ha e in eg a ed sus ainabili y success ully; in pa icula , he e is a lack o cohesi e
in eg a ion and sus ainabili y appea s as a soli a y cou se wi hin he cu iculum. In
his p ac ice pape we epo on an e o o no only e ec i ely in eg a e
sus ainabili y bu use i as a ca alys o engaging and educa ing s akeholde s,
encou aging hem o ques ion exis ing s uc u es, me hodologies, and alues wi hin
he in en ion o acili a e a undamen al pa adigm shi in p og am de elopmen . Ou
case comes om an MSc p og am in Spa ial Planning and T anspo a ion
Enginee ing a a No dic uni e si y, ini ially a b u e- o ce me ge o wo disciplines,
nei he oo ed in he concep o s ong sus ainabili y. By combining acul y
wo kshops, su eys, and in e iews, signi ican cu iculum ad ancemen s we e
achie ed. The e ised p og am ea u es a cohesi e s uc u e whe e co e cou ses
anscend adi ional silos h ough a common hema ic h ead o s ong sus ainabili y.
Mo eo e , a con inuous assessmen p ocess was es ablished h ough semes e -
le el and cou se-le el su eys, and alumni ocus g oups. Insigh s om his wo k
include p og am-con en changes emphasizing a uni ied amewo k and a ge ed
ou comes. In eg a ing sus ainabili y a he co e o he MSc p og am has p o oundly
impac ed cu iculum design, while s akeholde s exp ess a s ong desi e o engage
wi h he p og am, e lec ing i s ans o ma i e po en ial. The e ised p og am induces
enginee ing iden i y changes emphasizing plane a y wellbeing and social jus ice,
oo ed in pos -g ow h alues o coope a ion, solida i y, egene a ion, ca e and hope.
1
Co esponding Au ho
M.N. Mladeno ić
milos.mladeno ic@aal o. i
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Sus ainabili y as he common g ound o cu iculum ede elopmen
Sus ainabili y ansi ion o ci ies wo ldwide is a he cen e o global sus ainabili y
ans o ma ion. A he co e o ha u ban ansi ion is he ques ion o buil
en i onmen planning and associa ed policies wha should enable beha iou al
change and all he associa ed s ong sus ainabili y impac s (Ve ma e al., 2023; Wiek
e al., 2011; Willamo e al., 2018). Despi e he u gen need o in eg a ed planning
and policymaking o mee ing sus ainabili y goals, highe educa ion in his a ea has
been es ic i e due o disciplina y di isions (E ä an a & Mladeno ić, 2021). The
classical di ision is in o wo ields, one being spa ial planning and ano he one being
anspo a ion enginee ing. These wo g oups o m hei own epis emic communi ies,
wi h hei di e en knowledge bases g ounded in a chi ec u e and geog aphy on he
one hand, and ci il and indus ial enginee ing on he o he hand ( e B ömmels oe &
Be olini, 2010). Due o he di e ences in he educa ion and p o essional iden i ies,
membe s o he wo ields ace subs an ial challenges in unde s anding one
ano he ’s lexicons, ope a ing p ocedu es, and habi s (Mladeno ić e al., 2021).
E en hough such issues in communi ies o p ac ice (CoPs) ha e been highligh ed
be o e, he e a e limi ed a emp s o add ess his issue in he domain o highe
educa ion. Only one p e ious s udy (Fe ei a e al., 2013) sugges s ha cu iculum
de elopmen should aim o a holis ic, non-specialised, unde s anding ha b idges
di e en CoPs in hese wo ields. Con as ingly, mos o he p e ious enginee ing
educa ion esea ch in his domain ocuses on indi idual cou ses (Mladeno ic e al.,
2016; Machiani & Mladeno ić, 2018). In p ac ice, ac oss he globe, p og ams a e s ill
sepa a ed in o hose ocusing on u ban planning and hose ocusing on
anspo a ion enginee ing, o en si ua ed in di e en depa men s, and some imes
e en di e en uni e si ies. As such, he gap be ween p o essional capabili ies
de eloped in hese di e en educa ional p og ams is wo old. On he one hand, he e
a e c oss-disciplina y di e ences ha mus be spanned, as al eady iden i ied in o he
ields (Kähkönen and Höl ä-O o, 2022). On he o he hand, since nei he one o he
disciplines has been o iginally oo ed in he ideas o s ong sus ainabili y and
plane a y wellbeing, he e is also a gap be ween hei capabili ies and he socie al
needs o he sus ainabili y ansi ion.
Recen ad ances in enginee ing educa ion esea ch ha e al eady ecognized he
need o and p o ided lagship examples o how sus ainabili y has been in eg a ed
in o di e en enginee ing p og ams (Enelund e al., 2013; Roca Bosch e al., 2022;
Ve huls e al., 2022; Ma hebula, 2018; Thü e e al., 2018). Howe e , mos
educa ional p og ams ocus disp opo iona ely on en i onmen al sus ainabili y and
neglec o he s ong sus ainabili y aspec s such as cul u al o poli ical dimensions.
Mo eo e , when he o he aspec s a e discussed, i ’s as pa o a s and-alone cou se
a he han a subs an ial ea men as pa o he cu iculum (Thü e e al., 2018).
In his pape we p esen a case s udy o cu iculum ede elopmen o a mas e ’s
p og am in Spa ial Planning and T anspo a ion Enginee ing a a No dic uni e si y.
We demons a e how embedding he concep o s ong sus ainabili y p o ided a
common g ound o bo h mo ing beyond c oss-disciplina y di e ences and o
aligning he educa ion wi h socie al needs. We d aw lessons o p og ams ha a e
planning o unde going simila ans o ma ions.
2 APPROACH TO CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Cu iculum design and de elopmen is a opic o signi ican in e es wi hin
enginee ing educa ion and wi h ecen esea ch ad oca ing o a mo e i e a i e and
con inuous imp o emen app oach o cu iculum changes (Buyu gan and Kiassa ,
2017; Cook e al., 2017; Joh i, 2023; Ma hiasdo i e al., 2024; O’Neill, 2015; an
Be kum, 2024). To suppo his ansi ion, schola s ha e p oposed se e al
amewo ks o guide such i e a i e de elopmen (Cook e al., 2017; Ga in, 2010;
Pé ez and Aleu, 2009). These amewo ks a e oo ed in cu iculum design p inciples,
anging om hose ocused on in e linkage be ween cou ses (Meye s & Nul y, 2009)
o hose emphasizing lea ne ’s agency in in he p ocess o becoming p o essionals
(Mi chell e al., 2021).
Two highly ecommended and complemen a y me hods o assessmen used in
cu iculum de elopmen a e alumni and po en ial employe esea ch (Buyu gan and
Kiassa , 2017; Cook e al., 2017; Gha aibeh e al., 2015; Hei mann, 2005; Llo ens e
al., 2023; Pé ez and Aleu, 2009; Saunde s-Smi s and de G aa , 2012). Nea ly all
alumni esea ch u ilises ques ionnai es as i s me hod, al hough o he me hods, such
as in e iews and ocus g oups, a e also applicable. The ques ionnai e s udies
ypically in ol e closed ques ions and quan i a i e analysis. Alumni esea ch ypically
ocuses on explo ing ( ecen ly g adua ed) alumni’s iews o he p og am hey
g adua ed om. In e iew and ocus g oup-based esea ch, on he o he hand,
u ilises semi-s uc u ed con e sa ions, seeking a deepe unde s anding o opics
such as g adua es’ gene al (dis)sa is ac ion wi h he p og am and he skills and
knowledge hey had de eloped. Alumni esea ch can also be conduc ed on
g adua ing s uden s. Howe e , such esea ch is mo e use ul in explo ing simila
opics as s uden esea ch. Employe esea ch is, in p ac ice, iden ical o alumni
esea ch, wi h he ob ious di e ence in he s udy subjec s (Llo ens e al., 2023).
Employe esea ch is mos use ul in explo ing whe he he wo k li e’s needs align o
a su icien deg ee wi h he p og am’s goals.
3 IMPLEMENTATION
3.1 Ini ial MSc p og am in Spa ial Planning and T anspo a ion Enginee ing
The o iginal MSc p og am was es ablished as a op-down ins i u ional ini ia i e,
combining acul y om wo di e en depa men s. The p og am s a ed accep ing
s uden s in 2015, while he p epa a ion wo k o i was done o e se e al p eceding
yea s. This p og am, abb e ia ed as SPT, was a “b u e o ce” me ge o he wo
ields. The ollowing p og am-le el ou comes we e ini ially es ablished, al hough hei
mapping o indi idual cou ses was no conduc ed. The e o e, al hough qui e
comp ehensi e, hese p og am-le el ou comes we e no implemen ed in p ac ice,
leading o disin eg a ion o he educa ional con en s ac oss cou ses, and whe e
sus ainabili y has been add essed p ima ily in one co e cou se.
1. Capabili y o in eg a e land use and anspo a ion planning pe spec i es in
planning wo k
2. Capabili ies o planning hough in a b oade philosophical and his o ical con ex
3. E alua e and ecognize he sus ainabili y app oaches in planning & design
p ac ice
4. Cons uc a ision o wha is equi ed om he u u e anspo sys em
5. Iden i y he main app oaches in pe son-en i onmen s udies
6. Unde s and he meaning and possibili ies o public pa icipa ion
7. Able o analyze u ban planning and policies
8. S a egic p og amming o planning and policy ac i i ies
9. Skills in da a ga he ing and analysis in aming he planning p oblems
10. Apply own expe ise and compu a ional skills in he sma ci y con ex
11. Wo k in a mul idisciplina y eam in an u ban de elopmen p ojec
12. In e ac , collabo a e and communica e he p ojec wi h di e en s akeholde
g oups
13. Can c i ically e alua e u ban spaces om expe ien ial pe spec i e
14. Know how o ga he eliable and alid knowledge om people
15. In e ac , collabo a e and communica e he p ojec wi h di e en s akeholde
g oups
16. C i ical e lec ion on he limi s and po en iali ies o he Finnish Planning sys em
17. Elabo a e he e hically e lec i e esponses o planning p oblems
18. Recognize and e lec he wo k/ ole o a planne
19. Re lec pe sonal a i udes owa ds pa icipa o y planning
20. Recognize and e lec pe sonal expe iences as use o u ban spaces
As o he cou ses, he ini ial p og am included 40 ECTS o co e cou ses ha a e
manda o y o all he s uden s, as well as 40 ECTS o ad anced SPT cou ses, ha
can be selec ed as elec i es. The MSc p og am also includes 30 ECTS indi idual
MSc hesis p ojec . Mo e de ails a e in Table 1 in sec ion 4.2.
3.2 De elopmen amewo k and p ocess
To de elop a amewo k o cu iculum ede elopmen ha would in eg a e
sus ainabili y, we made wo key assump ions. Fi s , in eg a ion equi es lea ning by a
ange o in ol ed ac o s, om cou se eache s o o he key s akeholde s, wi hin and
ou side o he uni e si y. Second, in eg a ion equi es ans o ma i e lea ning ha
opens exis ing s uc u es, me hodologies and unde lying alues unde pinning he
pa adigm (Kolmos e al., 2016). In addi ion, we g ounded ou wo k as an ex ension
o exis ing amewo ks o cu iculum de elopmen wi h he ollowing se en
compe encies (Wiek e al., 2011; Willamo e al., 2018):
1. Sys ems- hinking compe ence: The abili y o collec i ely analyze complex
sys ems ac oss di e en domains (socie y, en i onmen , economy, e c.) and
ac oss di e en scales (local o global), he eby conside ing cascading e ec s,
ine ia, eedback loops and o he sys emic ea u es ela ed o sus ainabili y
issues and sus ainabili y p oblem-sol ing amewo ks.
2. An icipa o y compe ence: The abili y o collec i ely analyze, e alua e, and c a
ich ‘‘pic u es’’ o he u u e ela ed o sus ainabili y issues and sus ainabili y
p oblem-sol ing amewo ks.
3. Beha iou al change compe ence: The abili y o unde s and he p inciples o
human beha iou and i s change o e ime, and o apply hose p inciples o
design e ec i e beha iou change in e en ions.
4. Mul i-species compe ence: The abili y o explici ly conside mo e- han-human
ac o s’ capabili ies and needs when de eloping solu ions.
5. No ma i e compe ence: The abili y o collec i ely map, speci y, apply, econcile,
and nego ia e sus ainabili y alues, p inciples, goals, and a ge s.
6. S a egic compe ence: The abili y o collec i ely design and implemen
in e en ions, ansi ions, and ans o ma i e go e nance s a egies owa d
sus ainabili y.
7. In e pe sonal compe ence: The abili y o mo i a e, enable, and acili a e
collabo a i e and pa icipa o y sus ainabili y p oblem sol ing.
Fig. 1. Cu iculum de elopmen componen s (ex ended om Cook e al., 2017)
Based on he abo e assump ions and amewo k, we implemen ed a se ies o
ac i i ies (Figu e 1). A he cen e o cu iculum de elopmen is he acul y lea ning
and de elopmen communi y (Tinnell e al., 2019), consis ing o abou dozen
esponsible eache s o all SPT cou ses. The ac i i ies o he acul y lea ning and
de elopmen communi y p ima ily ocused on cu iculum wo kshops (Schleiss e al.,
2023), which we e complemen ed wi h eading asks. Feedback o cu iculum
wo kshops came om mul iple sou ces including a longi udinal (2017 – 2023)
semes e -le el ques ionnai e o SPT s uden s (N = 131) and an exi ques ionnai e
o each cou se. In addi ion, an alumni ques ionnai e (N = 56, app. 50% esponse
a e) was deployed. The hi d sou ce was a se ies o in e iews (N = 15) conduc ed
wi h di e se indus y s akeholde s in middle o highe managemen posi ions, and
p e iously no educa ed wi hin he SPT p og am. Finally, a se o inpu s was
conside ed s emming om se e al p o essional associa ions, he uni e si y
cons ain s, and in compa ison, wi h he closes benchma k MSc p og ams in spa ial
planning o anspo a ion enginee ing among he pee uni e si ies ac oss he wo ld.
4 RESULTS
4.1 Key ede elopmen aspec s in line wi h he sus ainabili y amewo k
The ollowing Figu e 2 depic s he embedding o key lea ning elemen s wi hin he
se en-poin sus ainabili y amewo k.
Fig. 2. In eg a ion o co e lea ning aspec s wi hin he se en sus ainabili y compe ences
4.2 P og am-con en and implemen a ion changes
One o he key ac i i ies comple ed in he cu iculum wo kshops was o e ine he
MSc p og am-le el lea ning ou comes and map hem o cou se-le el ou comes and
ins uc ional app oaches.
1. E alua e human beha io , expe ience and con ex ual in e ac ions
2. E alua e spa io- empo al sys em dynamics ac oss scales and sec o s
3. Unde s and spa ial, socie al and poli ical con ex s in Finland and beyond
4. Unde s and spa ial- anspo go e nance in Finland in ela ion o o he coun ies
5. C ea e scena ios o possible, p obable and p e e able u u es
6. C ea e and communica e in e en ions ac oss scales and sec o s
7. E alua e impac s o a ious decisions, policies, plans, and o he in e en ions
unde condi ions o unce ain y
8. Apply and e alua e a ious (quali a i e and quan i a i e) da a collec ion
echniques and me hods
9. C ea e and communica e di e en ypes o planning a e ac s and p ocesses,
ac oss scales and sec o s
10. C ea e communi y capaci y and ideas in and o g oups o people, h ough a
communica i e p ocess
11. E alua e and mi iga e e hical-mo al implica ions ela ed o planning and
enginee ing
P og am-le el lea ning ou comes we e e ined i e a i ely wi h he ede elopmen o
he co e and elec i e cou ses (Table 1). The e ised p og am elimina ed any co e
cou se belonging ei he o spa ial planning o anspo a ion enginee ing and
in oduced elec i es wi h clea lea ning pa hways g ounded in he sus ainabili y
amewo k. In addi ion, semes e -le el ques ionnai es and annual alumni wo kshops
we e embedded as con inuous p og am-de elopmen componen s.
Table 1. Ini ial and e ised cou se lis o SPT MSc p og am
Componen
Ini ial lis o cou ses
Re ised lis o cou ses
Co e
Cou ses
• T anspo Sys em Planning
• Land Use Planning
Sys ems
• T anspo Policy and
Economics
• Planning Theo y
• Sys ems Thinking o
Sus ainable Li ing
En i onmen
• Planning S udio
• Thesis Semina
• Founda ions o
Planginee ing
• Planning Sys ems
• Planning Theo y
• Land-use and T anspo
Policy
• Planning S udio
• Thesis Semina
Ad anced
Cou ses
• T anspo Modeling
• U ban Expe ience
• T a ic Flow Theo y
• Pa icipa o y Planning
• T a ic Managemen
• U ban and Regional
De elopmen
• Sma and Li eable Ci y
S udio
• T anspo Modeling
• T anspo Economics
• U ban Expe ience
• In eg a ed U ban
T anspo
• T a ic Flow Theo y
• Pa icipa o y Planning
• T a ic Managemen
• U ban and Regional
De elopmen
• Planning o Plane a y
Well-being S udio
5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The i s key lesson ha his wo k p o ides is ha wo- old in eg a ion o
sus ainabili y in o an enginee ing p og am is bo h desi able and possible. On he one
hand, embedding he s ong sus ainabili y app oach allows o add essing he gap
be ween enginee ing educa ion and he u gen socie al needs o sus ainabili y
ansi ion. On he o he hand, ha ing sus ainabili y as he common g ound (Figu e 3),
allows o a no el app oach o in eg a ing epis emologically di e en ields o spa ial
planning and anspo a ion enginee ing. As spa ial planning is mo e dominan ly
oo ed in he ields o a chi ec u e and geog aphy, while anspo a ion enginee ing is
mo e dominan ly oo ed in ci il and indus ial enginee ing (i.e., he unks o he wo
ees), his allows o e ec i e in eg a ion despi e hei epis emological di e ences.
Such embedding leads o a ansdisciplina y se o co e cou ses, while
simul aneously es ablishing a complemen a y se o elec i e cou ses ha can ca e
o di e se lea ne s’ needs and capabili ies (e.g., someone specializing in
pa icipa o y planning p ocesses as opposed o someone specializing in da a
analy ics o impac assessmen ).
The second key lesson s emming om his wo k is ha ans o ma i e change is
possible, i he cu iculum ede elopmen is g ounded in he no ion o s ong
sus ainabili y. Such ans o ma i e change mus ackle he oo alues unde pinning
he p e ious pa adigms o bo h he speci ic disciplines. Besides hei co e
epis emological di e ences, bo h ields o spa ial planning and anspo a ion
enginee ing a e adi ionally oo ed in a pa adigm ha was ocused on weak
sus ainabili y, whe e economic sus ainabili y and undi e en ia ed g ow h would
domina e he mindse and me hods. In con as , ans o ma i e change has enabled
he p og am se ing in a ange o s ong sus ainabili y alues, spanning hose o
plane a y wellbeing and social jus ice, and oo ed in pos -g ow h alues o
coope a ion, solida i y, egene a ion, ca e and hope o b eaking ou o cu en
unsus ainable pa h dependencies. He e, we ecognize ha he change in he
unde lying alues unde pinning he pa adigm is s ill ongoing, as he s ong
sus ainabili y pa adigm is s ill eme ging in p ac ice. Thus, he ongoing cu iculum
assessmen and de elopmen p ac ices should ac i ely be a uned o such alue
changes.
Fig. 3. Se en sus ainabili y compe encies as he common g ound o cu iculum
ede elopmen
O e all, his wo k p o ides a model o p og ams ha a e b inging oge he
in e disciplina y domains o p o ide he u u e wo k o ce wi h a mo e ans o ma i e
educa ional expe ience ha is gea ed owa d helping hem add ess he complex
p oblems ela ed o sus ainabili y. We expec ha his model can also se e o he
domains such as a i icial in elligence whe e an e e -g owing numbe o p og ams
a e looking o c ea e new o e ings ha b ing oge he co e compu ing ela ed
knowledge wi h di e en domain applica ions. In conclusion, we belie e ha one way
o b idge epis emological di e ences o when in eg a ing di e en disciplines is o
employ a hi d elemen ha can ac as a ca alys .
6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge he unding ecei ed om he School o Enginee ing a Aal o
Uni e si y, h ough a pilo p ojec PRO-ASSET. We also acknowledge he help o
Oya Duman and Susa E ä an a in conduc ing s akeholde in e iews.
