Embedding Sustainability in Interdisciplinary Pedagogy for Planning and Design Studios

Abstract

Sustainability literacy should be embedded in built environment higher education. We explored the contribution of interdisciplinary studios to students’ sustainability literacy. We ran a studio with Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture students, focused on a coastal brownfield renewal in Victoria, Australia. Studio activities and assessments were designed based on constructivist and experiential learning principles. Students’ learning experiences were evaluated through surveys and focus group interviews, and analyzed against an integrated framework. Results show that simulating real-world situations, game-based and role-playing activities, and applying sustainability principles to a complex site encourage creativity, shared control, and negotiation, which foster experiential sustainability learning.