Public Lecture: Systems Thinking for Sustainable Cities UvA Summer School
How can we better understand the complex systems that shape our cities and avoid creating unintended consequences when trying to solve urban challenges? As part of the UvA Summer School series, TheRockGroup colleague Cas will give a public lecture introducing systems thinking as a practical lens for understanding and shaping more sustainable cities.
Cities are complex systems
Housing, mobility, energy, water, green space, the economy and social wellbeing are deeply interconnected. A change in one part of an urban system can have consequences elsewhere. For example, a new mobility policy can affect air quality, public space and housing prices. Similarly, a green space initiative can influence social dynamics and the way people use their neighbourhood. Yet urban challenges are often approached separately. This lecture explores why this can lead to unintended side effects and how systems thinking can help us better understand the relationships between different parts of a city.
From systems thinking to sustainable cities
The lecture provides a snapshot of the three-week Circular Cities Summer School programme, organised by TheRockGroup at the University of Amsterdam. Drawing on real examples from Amsterdam, Cas Smitsmans will introduce systems thinking as a practical approach for identifying connections, understanding complexity and exploring more effective solutions to urban sustainability challenges. Systems thinking has been part of TheRockGroup's teaching for many years. We increasingly see both public and private organisations using systems and complexity thinking to better navigate complex environments and identify opportunities for sustainable transformation.
Event details
Date: 28 July 2026
Time: 16:00–17:00
Location: UvA / CREA, Amsterdam
Cost: Free
Registration: No registration required; the lecture is open to everyone. For more information, visit this page.
Whether you work on urban development, sustainability, mobility, policy or simply want to better understand how cities work as interconnected systems, this lecture offers an accessible introduction to systems thinking and its application to sustainable urban transformation.
We hope to see you there!
