COURSE CURRICULUM

The Urban Digital Transformation & Innovation: Governance and Economics of Cities program is a master track within the MSc in Urban Management and Development. It focuses on understanding how digital innovation and transformation shape urban economic development and governance. The program is organised into three modules and draws on multiple disciplines, including economics, technology and innovation, governance, socio-technology, social and economic geography, and urban planning.Students explore both socio-economic and socio-technological transformations, critically evaluating the concept of smart cities and analysing the opportunities and challenges created by global digitalisation trends. Practical skills, such as big data analytics and machine learning, are introduced to illustrate the effects of digital transformations on governance and economics. Real-world examples include smart and micro-mobility, smart grids, new forms of production, energy transitions, public transportation, and labour markets. The program also examines the complex process of governing digital innovation and its potential to create or reduce inequalities in cities.Students can further specialise in one of two focus areas. In Economic Development, they study economic geography, knowledge hubs, technological diffusion, territorial development, agglomeration economics, entrepreneurship, and labour markets. In Algorithmic Governance, the emphasis is on digital infrastructure, algorithmic governance, big data, and the implications of digitalisation on traditional governance practices.Although the program introduces technical tools, its primary focus is on governance and economics rather than on technical development. Graduates will gain the skills to critically assess urban digital transformations, understand their socio-economic impact, and design governance strategies that support sustainable and equitable urban development.