Students from Università Iuav di Venezia took part in the Erasmus Short Mobility programme at Thomas Jefferson University focused on urban health, sustainability and participatory design.

From 18 to 22 May 2026, a group of students from Università Iuav di Venezia took part in an Erasmus Short Mobility programme at Thomas Jefferson University, participating in the international workshop Urban Health, Environment and Community-Based Design.

The initiative brought together Italian and American students and lecturers in an experimental educational programme focusing on urban health, resilient and healthy cities, and the relationships between the urban environment, public health and socio-spatial inequalities.

The workshop consisted of an introductory online phase and five intensive days of in-person work in Philadelphia, during which participants attended thematic lectures, conducted site visits in the Market East neighbourhood – the subject of the case study – carried out spatial analyses based on environmental and sensory data, and developed a strategic urban intervention proposal.

The activity provided an important opportunity for interdisciplinary dialogue between urban planning, urban design, public health, environmental analysis and participatory practices, with a particular focus on the contemporary challenges facing healthy and sustainable cities.

Ten students from Università Iuav di Venezia took part in the workshop. The following lecturers from Università Iuav di Venezia took part in the activities: Michele Dalla Fontana, Filippo Magni, Francesco Musco.

Representing Thomas Jefferson University were Rosemary Frasso, Katie DiSantis, John Dwyer, Yang Yang.

During the working week, the group also met with representatives from the following institutions and stakeholders in the Philadelphia area: Nico Frandi, general consul of Italy in Philadelphia, Franco Montalto, Drexel University, Elisabeth H. Lankenau, City of Philadelphia.

From an educational perspective, the workshop enabled students to develop key transferable skills, including organisational autonomy, adaptability to international and interdisciplinary contexts, problem-solving skills, teamwork and an open-minded approach to different design and cultural perspectives. The experience also strengthened the collaborative and communication skills necessary to tackle the contemporary challenges of urban design and environmental health.

The initiative confirms the commitment of Università Iuav di Venezia to promoting the internationalisation of teaching/learning and design experiments focused on the themes of urban sustainability, public health and social innovation.