Changing Methods in Teaching for Strengthening the Relation Between Research and Practice

This paper addresses one fundamental challenge, how to strengthen the relation between morphological research and professional practice. Drawing on the acknowledgment of several weaknesses in the physical form of contemporary urban landscapes—with consequent impacts on the socioeconomic and environmental dimensions of cities—it is argued that effective change can take place through the improvement of knowledge and action of professionals in planning, urban design, and architecture. Furthermore, the paper sustains that the most effective ways of doing this are through the construction of effective processes (as opposed to single events of collaboration) and through education. After a brief literature review, the core of the paper is made of the presentation and discussion of an on-going research project, the Knowledge Alliance for Evidence Based Urban Practices (KAEBUP). The project includes eight European partners from academia and practice. The main objective of KAEBUP is to create an educational process offering participants the opportunity to engage with professional environments, learning how research can be the basis for innovative professional practices, and what enterprises in planning, urban design and architecture require from academia. KAEBUP pedagogic strategy is designed to achieve this main objective. The paper stresses one of its fundamental paths—to co-create urban knowledge through multiple modes of exchange and involvement of students, teaching and company staff in teaching, research, and practice. Particular attention is devoted to one of these activities, one of three Intensive Training Workshops.