Community & Urban Studies Courses and Certifications

The Aspen Institute

Place, People, and Possibility - Reflections on Humanism and the Aspen Idea

Explore how humanistic ideals shaped post-WWII Aspen and learn to apply these timeless values to contemporary social challenges through expert insights and historical reflection.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

TED

How to Love Your Hometown - Building Community and Connection in Your City

Discover how to build community and find meaning in your hometown through local connections, from sneaker shops to public parks, with cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib.

• YouTube
• 14 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

TED

The Grassroots Movement Transforming Public Safety

Discover how community-led peace programs are redefining public safety through the Scaling Safety initiative, featuring insights from a key negotiator of LA's historic 1992 gang peace treaty.

• YouTube
• 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Unity

Building a $14M Community - How We Built a Studio Backwards and Why It Worked

Discover how to build a gaming studio community-first, raising $14M before launch by engaging fans from YouTube comments to hundreds of thousands of players through transparency.

• YouTube
• 33 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Power of Inclusive Learning - Building a Stronger Society Through Education and Empathy

2 ratings

Explore inclusive learning's impact on society through literacy, empathy, and education. Discover how teaching others enhances knowledge and fosters empathy, contributing to nation-building and social progress.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Aspen Institute

Field-Based Rural Placemaking - Effective Strategies for Community Development

1 rating

Discover effective rural placemaking strategies that celebrate community uniqueness, foster intergenerational collaboration, and revitalize local development with limited resources and time.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 31 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Aspen Institute

Bridging Faiths in a Divided America

1 rating

Explore how faith communities can bridge divides and solve social problems in America through community building, sacred practices, and advocacy.

• YouTube
• 55 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Aspen Institute

Deep Dive: Portrait of a Healthy Community - Building Well-Being Through Local Engagement

1 rating

Exploring community-driven initiatives for well-being, from food deserts to public safety, this talk examines how local engagement shapes healthier, more vibrant neighborhoods across the US and globally.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 23 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

How to Future Proof Small Towns with Innovation

1 rating

Discover innovative strategies to revitalize small towns through smart solutions, addressing challenges in transportation, healthcare, and community development for underserved populations.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Luis Bettencourt on The Science of Cities

Luis Bettencourt explores the science of cities, examining their unique properties, scaling laws, and impact on human life. He discusses urban innovation, sustainability challenges, and the future of urban living.

• YouTube
• 50 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Emergent Tokyo - Speculations on a Space City

Exploring Tokyo's urban design principles as a model for vibrant, adaptable space cities. Analyzes key features enabling bottom-up urbanism and offers insights for creating livable extraterrestrial settlements.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

From Scaling to Practice: Real World Applications of Cities Research - 2014

Explore real-world applications of urban scaling research, examining how theoretical insights translate into practical solutions for city planning and development.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

How GENs Can Meet Environmental Justice Priorities - Session 2-2

Explore how geothermal energy networks address environmental justice concerns, priorities, and implementation strategies for equitable thermal energy transformation.

• YouTube
• 11 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Alan Turing Institute

The Turing Way- Investing in Human Infrastructure

Explore collaborative research practices, career pathways, and tools in data science through The Turing Way project. Learn about open science, reproducibility, and community-driven knowledge sharing.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Finding Healing Through Vulnerability, Connection & Art

Explore how vulnerability, connection, and art can be transformative tools for personal and collective healing, growth, and social impact through the lens of a socially engaged artist.

• YouTube
• 17 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk