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 its urban planning.... This workshop opens different perspectives on the city and an opportunity to understand it much better on several levels... not only from a tourist point of view, but to explore it more deeply over its historical stages, urban design, people’s preferences of places to live ... You have time to research the city, to analyze the project site, and to create a proposal for its development. It is an amazing experience to work with people from different countries and backgrounds. The workshop offers a perfect balance of work and leisure. I met many nice intelligent people and it felt so great to study again!
2019: Emily Huang (senior, BSCRP, Cal Poly, USA): “It was an amazing experience exploring Lisbon through the lens of urban design. Lisbon is a very interesting city, and I was able to observe both the good and the bad design qualities the city had to offer. The workshop itself was a perfect balance between fully experiencing the city and applying what we learned in a classroom setting. I also thoroughly enjoyed working with other students from other countries; everyone brought a new perspective to urbanism. I highly recommend this workshop to those interested in planning and design!”
2019: Jacob Richey (Business Analyst, BA in Political Science, Georgetown University, USA) I’ve always been fascinated by urbanism and looking for ways to express that fascination, and this was the perfect way to do that. I’m also seriously considering a Masters in Urban Planning and this program shone a positive light on the profession. The Lisbon Urban Design Workshop is a unique program that allowed me to quickly learn about the fundamentals of urbanism and the history of Lisbon and its contemporary land use issues. It’s rare to find oneself in a room full of people interested in Urban Design and City Planning together in a beautiful city with the sole mission of learning and applying newly acquired knowledge in a real-world context. I appreciated the pace of the program which struck a balance between leisure and hard work that allowed me to truly take in the city. The framework of the urban qualities and the concept of the flaneur provided me with the right mindset to experience the city inside the classroom and in its streets. The diversity of professional backgrounds and countries paved the way for a interesting and rewarding final project.
2018: Dewi Bleher (senior, Architecture, Hochushule University, Germany): “Coming from an architectural background, this workshop provided me with more experience of how urban design can be perceived and applied. In the first week, we focused on studying the streets in Lisbon, a city that has so much more to offer than just the Alfama - the historic city center. In the first glimpse, you’re a tourist exploring the town, but after a few days you will have your favorite coffee and sketching places! The second week focused on developing design ideas for a city neighborhood. In brief, what can you expect from these two weeks? You are going to meet new people from around the world and work with them, and you will have the chance to experience Lisbon from a perspective other than just being a tourist.”
2018: Miles Barker (graduate student, MCRP, Cal Poly, USA): “… my experience... was incredible.! Lisbon is a perfect place to immerse yourself in a rich history of urban design and architecture.. The University and the faculty ... were very welcoming, supportive, knowledgeable, and created a fun and interactive workplace. I would certainly recommend to anyone interested in city planning and urban design to attend this two-week immersive program. My experience with the program gave me both a new perspective and insight into urban design that I will carry out as a city planner.”
2018: Nick Johnston (sophomore, BSCRP, Cal Poly), USA: “…this unique experience has exposed me to much in the planning profession around the world (hearing stories and perspectives from international classmates and professors and working in a country I've never been before). Ultimately, I have more experience under my belt, more products to show off, and am more excited about what I will be doing after I graduate.”
2018: Nishita Kandikuppa (freshman, BSCRP, Cal Poly, USA): “This trip changed my life! I think it is very important for people, students especially, to travel by themselves because they learn so much about themselves and other cultures and languages what they would never learn if they stay home … I absolutely fell in love with Lisbon and Sintra. There were so beautiful, and I had the time of my life! I also got to spend time with people I probably never would have met otherwise. Thank you so much for this program!”
