SUSTRANS – Sustainable Cities – Urban Breakdown

Supporting sustainable education for green urban development

Duration of the project

1.8.2025 – 31.12.2027

Source of funding

Finnish National Agency for Education

Total funding

82 500 €

Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction offers a unique opportunity to rebuild cities according to European standards for sustainability, carbon neutrality, and smart development. The SUSTRANS project supports this process by modernising higher education in sustainable urban planning through international cooperation. By co-creating a new educational module with Ukrainian partners, the project strengthens local expertise in green, inclusive, and climate-smart urban development. The initiative equips students and educators with practical knowledge and digital learning tools to support long-term urban transformation.

The post-war reconstruction of Ukraine offers a unique and unprecedented opportunity to rebuild cities according to the European Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity to rebuild cities based on European Union standards for carbon-neutral, smart, and sustainable development. Kryvyi Rih, a major center of heavy industry, requires new types of expertise to transform urban spaces into ecologically, socially, and functionally sustainable environments. To address this need, Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) and Krivyi Rih National University (KRNU) have launched a cooperative project to modernize higher education in urban planning in Ukraine.

The project focuses on the co-creation and implementation of a 10 ECTS educational module called “Sustainable City – Urban Transition” (SUSTRANS). This module is designed around 4–5 mini MOOCs, each worth 1.5–2,5 ECTS credits, covering crucial themes: carbon neutrality and climate policy, green and blue infrastructure, smart systems in urban environments, and the promotion of healthy, socially inclusive cities. Each miniMOOC will include videos, assignments, short lectures, and other digital learning materials to foster flexible, modern education.