The University of Edinburgh hosts a large array of societies focused on STEM, covering subjects from astrophysics and astrobiology to biomedical sciences. However, within this list resides a rather distinctive and niche group: Sustainable Urban Development Society (SUDS). To learn more about SUDS and how students can get involved, I spoke with Estée Raus, the society’s current president. Estée is a third-year architecture student and has been part of the society since her first year at university.
Sustainable urban development encompasses the process of creating cities that are built to last, using resources efficiently and minimising environmental impact. When asked about what she thinks draws attention and interest to the field, Estée mentioned that even though it is a very niche area, it spreads widely over many subjects and is therefore highly interdisciplinary.
Adding on to this idea, she explained that this is one of the reasons why the subject is so enjoyable; you can apply it to everything and anything, emphasising the importance of combining theory and practice. As an example, Estée said that the field can be applied to various situations, such as how streets are designed but also broader issues such as climate change.
I then asked Estée about the significance of sustainable urban development for the world, to which she explained that it is important since it ties all kinds of fields to sustainability due to its interdisciplinary characteristics. She further emphasised the fact that sustainable development is practised mostly in urban environments as that is where the majority of the population lives.
When asked about what the society does Estée said “SUDS combines both the social and educational side of things”, explaining that the society endeavours to examine how cities can be designed in a more sustainable manner.
Additionally, she clarified that sustainability is not simply the idea of needing more plants in a city or lowering the carbon footprint. Rather, sustainability should be intersectional, tackling social issues such as how a city can be made more female-friendly as well as other intertwined political and economic problems.
Estée continued to explain that SUDS aims to achieve this through a series of activities. These include their monthly workshops and lecture series on climate change and environmentalism and the delivery of an urban planning workshop at several primary schools.
Finally, Estée described how being part of the society provides a sense of fulfilment; you can see the impact that you have on the community, other people and even yourself.
“Urban Development” by DeeMakMak is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.