The 2024 Workshop (redevelopment
of a brownfield at the riverfront) was a big success!
The 2025 workshop will happen from June 16 through June 27.

Testimonials from participants

2024: Laura Duarte, architect-urbanist, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“My time in the workshop was amazing! We had good lectures that situated in the new environment alongside amazing field trips to understand the city from more than a touristic point of view. The places and sights were breathtaking, and great to practice our sketching. The professors were charismatic, attentive and most helpful, and the class ambience was great. The project was challenging yet fun, and I got to meet incredible people.. If you are considering taking the workshop, I would say 100% go for it!!!”

2024: Sheridan Green, planning student, BSCRPP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, USA.
"Participating in the Lisbon Workshop allowed me to travel and expand my understanding of urban design through an immersive learning experience. The professors and students were incredibly talented people who are not only knowledgeable about the city but also responsible for shaping it. In only two weeks we were able to do a walking tour of the entire city and create a design proposal for our focus area. The work was fast-paced and challenging but the experience I gained will serve me for the rest of my career. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I recommend this workshop to anyone who is pursuing urban design.” 
 
2024: Maja Sønderskov, landscape architect, Copenhagen, Denmark.
“The workshop was an amazing experience. I’ve got insights into the history and politics of Lisbon, roamed up and down the seven hills alongside with great people from different continents. It was exciting to get hands-on the practical assignment and work in groups on proposals for a brownfield on the river Tagus bank. The course was well facilitated by bright professors, the environment was friendly and warm and opened up for new and fascinating friendships. I had a fantastic two-weeks of summer in Portugal.”

2023: Jennifer Hugoo, planning student, BSCRP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, USA.
"The International Urban Design Workshop in Lisbon is truly an incredible experience that everyone who can should attend. Lisbon is a beautiful city rich in culture and history that you get to explore with guidance and purpose. You will see it through a new lens and appreciate its uniqueness., have a lot of fun exploring. it, learn from its different places and architectures, and meet wonderful people.. No matter your background—whether in urban planning or another field—there is valuable information to be gained from this experience. All in all, this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss, and I look back on it very fondly. "

2019: Silviia Aleksandrova, landscape architect, MSc, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Russia.
"Lisbon is my favorite city in Europe and as a landscape architect I was always fascinated with the urban planning. Thus when I saw an opportunity to be a part of the workshop I decided to take an advantage. This workshop opens different perspective over the city and gives an opportunity to understand it much better on different levels. You experience Lisbon not only from a tourist point of view, but more deeply through its historical phases, urbanism, and places to live and enjoy through economic, ecological and social points of view.s. You study the city, the project site and create a proposal for its development. It is an amazing experience to work with people from different countries with their own backgrounds. The workshop provides a perfect balance of work and leisure., and I met many interesting people and it felt great to study again!"

2019: Emily Huang, planning student, BSCRP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, USA.
“It was an amazing experience to explore Lisbon through the lens of urban design, a very interesting city that I was able to observe through its design qualities but also its problems.. The workshop was a perfect balance between experiencing the city and applying what we learned in a studio setting.. I thoroughly enjoyed working with people from other countries; everyone brought a new perspective to urbanism. I highly recommend this workshop to those interested in planning and design!”
Jacob Richey (Business Analysist, BA Political Science and Government, Georgetown University)

2019: Jacob Richey, Business Analysist, BA Political Science and Government, Georgetown University, USA.
"I have always been fascinated by urbanism and looking for ways to express that fascination, and this workshop was the perfect way to do that. As I am seriously considering a Masters in Urban Planning this program shone a positive light on the profession. The workshop allowed me to quickly learn  the fundamentals of urbanism, the history of Lisbon, and contemporary urban issues.. I appreciated the pace of the program between flaneuries around Lisbon to observe its urban design qualities and hard studio work, allowed us to truly understand the city. The diversity of professional backgrounds and countries paved the way for interesting and rewarding final projects."

2018: Miles Barker, graduate planning student, MCRP, Cal Poly san Luis Obispo, USA.
“… my experience in Lisbon was incredible.. It is a perfect city to immerse yourself in a rich history of urban design and architecture.. The faculty were very welcoming, supportive, knowledgeable, and created a fun and interactive workplace. I would certainly recommend the workshop to anyone who has an interest in city planning and urban design. It complemented my education at Cal Poly’s learn by doing philosophy and gave me a new perspective and insight into urban design that I will carry out as a future planner.”