Programme on Sustainable Cities 2025

The Norman Foster Institute is now accepting applications for its Programme on Sustainable Cities, taking place in Madrid from January to December 2025

The Programme on Sustainable Cities blends hands-on experience with academic insights from the Norman Foster Foundation’s global network of experts, led by Co-Directors Norman Foster and Kent Larson. Each year, scholars will immerse themselves in three pilot cities, engaging directly with local planners and managers. The 2025 academic year will focus on African cities, one of the most challenging territories that also presents one of the greatest opportunities for urban development.

The 36-week programme is structured across three stages—Foundations, Transformations and Interventions—with time divided between studio and field work. The NFI City Lab supports scholars as they work on developing sustainability strategies for pilot cities using artificial intelligence, augmented reality and interactive interfaces. This is coupled with data-driven and evidence-based design methods, allowing scholars to explore, test and evaluate their interventions.

The course starts with tools and skills that can be used to address wide-ranging issues in cities, such as leadership, advocacy, communication, presentation, diagramming, mapping and the understanding and interpretation of data. These could be applicable to cities all over the world, as well as informal settlements and suburbia. Towards the end of the year, the scholars will present their findings to each city’s administration.

This programme is intended for those who seek a holistic approach to the design and management of cities. It welcomes graduate and postgraduate scholars along with professionals in various fields such as Anthropology, Architecture, Arts, Computer Science, Construction, Data Analytics, Design, Economics, Engineering, Environment, Geography, History, Law, Mathematics, Public Policy, Sociology, Transportation, Urbanism and other related disciplines.

The Norman Foster Institute provides a Master’s Degree Diploma for the Programme on Sustainable Cities, provided by the NFI’s Academic Partner, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, signed by Co-Directors Norman Foster, President of the Norman Foster Foundation and Advocate of the United Nations Forum of Mayors and Kent Larson, Director of the City Science Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. Additionally, the diploma is signed by the NFI Provost, Prof. Edgar Pieterse, Founding Director of the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, and the Rector of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Prof. Amaya Mendikoetxea.

Scholarships are awarded to talented applicants in need of financial support, based on merit, distinctive competencies, background and/or academic excellence.

The 2025 pilot cities, where scholars will work on site, and the full academic body list will be published later this year. As a point of reference, you can visit here to learn more about the 2024 programme and academic body.

Applications are now open here.