Tygron for Urban Analysis

Use-case 1: “Urban Water Course”

For the second year now, Van Hall Larenstein has successfully implemented Tygron in its Water Management specialization, as part of the "Urban Water" HBO course. This university of applied science has collaborated with the Municipality of Lelystad as part of a long-term agreement for maintaining selected neighborhoods. For this course, students work in groups to suggest solutions for improving the neighborhoods livability, climate and water systems. They do that by modeling the neighborhoods using Tygron and running different stress tests. The working groups should also consider Aveco de Bondt and the water board Zuiderzeeland as clients, in addition to the municipality. Last year (2020) the second part of the course was conducted online, of course with many challenges due to the sudden shift to online learning. However, this year (2021), the students attended the entire course from home.

Content of the course

General information

• Name of the course: "Urban Water"

• Study-block: "Water Management"

• Study Programme: Land and Water Management

• Educational Institute: Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Target students

• The students taking this course are at an HBO level (Bachelor level).
• The students are expected to have prior knowledge of GIS, CAD, Hydrodynamic Modeling, and SOBEK 2 & 3.
• The students do not have any prior knowledge of Tygron.

Objectives and desired outcome

This course focuses on the sustainable design of an urban area using vulnerability assessment, modeling and solution recommendation.

The main learning objectives are to:

1. Assess vulnerability to the effects of climate change
2. Model an urban water system
3. Develop a vision for sustainable urban design
4. Use digital resources efficiently to recommend actions for sustainable design
5. Determine sustainable solutions for climate issues

To reach the above learning objectives, students are expected to produce the following outcomes:

1. An individual 'reference study' to provide insight into sustainable solutions for climate issues, focusing on urban water management.
2. A 'model using Tygron', showing the current situation of the selected area, as well as potential sustainability solutions.
3. An individual 'storymap' showcasing the challenges of the area, the vulnerabilities as well as the proposed solutions and their effects.

Design of the Course

Syllabus and time distribution

The course is delivered in Dutch and is spread over 8 weeks, with an average of 5-7 hours per week, with an additional exam week (week 9).

The following steps explain how the course goes:

1. The assignment is briefly introduced.
2. An excursion to the municipality is organized. During the Covid-19 lock-down, students went on a digital virtual excursion.
3. Then students choose a topic for the reference-study (individually). For example, it could be a specific technology / measure / instrument, a special approach / process or a specific exemplary street or neighborhood in the country.
4. Instructors deliver an average of 2 hours/week of theory lectures about:Climate effects / Spatial adaptation / National Adaptation Strategy / Guide principle and guide models / Green-blue networks climate effects
5. A guest lecturer provides 2 hands-on workshops about Modeling with Tygron. These tutorials take place in weeks 2 and 5.
6. Students also learn how to create StoryMaps with tutorials (around 1 hour per week)
7. While learning Tygron, students form themselves into groups of 3 (6 groups) to model their selected area. For that they have to:
   • Create a working model.
   • Validate the model.
   • Calculate the effectiveness of measures.
   • Reflect critically on model assumptions.
8. The students present their reference-study through a 10-minute-digital presentation in week 7.
9. Students are given around 2 -3 hours per week for self-study
10. Students are also given continuous support using question-sessions, online consultation and feedback sessions.
11. At the end of the course, students have to individually showcase the stress tests and proposed solutions using StoryMaps.

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