Infrastructure and Energy Technology Challenges
A graduate seminar from MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning that looks at how developed and developing regions build, finance, and regulate infrastructure and energy systems. The course draws on economics, engineering, and policy perspectives to compare approaches across countries, using case studies on power grids, transportation networks, and water systems. Class sessions are run as intensive discussions and debates rather than lectures, with students expected to come prepared from assigned readings covering financing mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, and technology choices. Materials on MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, readings list, and assignment prompts used when the course was taught on campus. There is no instructor interaction or certificate; it is a self-study version of an MIT graduate seminar aimed at those interested in the practical and policy tradeoffs behind large infrastructure and energy projects.