Curriculum Change for Sustainability

January 2005 saw the launch of the United Nations’ ‘Decade of Education for Sustainability’ and with it a number of initiatives to promote sustainability education within the built environment disciplines. At the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, interest was generated by a project working to embed sustainability within the core curriculum of different schools across the university. This paper describes the pedagogical research approach adopted to embed sustainability into the core curriculum within the School. The main focus of this research was based on capacity building through reflective practice. Staff members were encouraged to engage with the project team and to develop their own understanding of sustainability, while resources were provided to assist staff to make changes to their modules. In addition three new modules were developed as part of the project to give students the opportunity to further explore sustainability in the built environment. Delivery of these new modules is significant as there has been a move away from lectures to a hands on approach, making it easier for students to foster values and behaviours, deepening their understanding of sustainability.