The “Studio Abroad” as a Mode of Transcultural Engagement in Urban Planning Education

Abstract

This article reviews the dynamics and achievements of a ten-year series of collaborative planning studios and field research between faculty and students from urban planning and design programs in Canadian and Chinese universities, with additional perspective gained by observations of other collaborations. Focusing on the pedagogical and cross-cultural communicative aspects of the experience, the article suggests some key features of successful international educational collaborations and assesses the special role that physical design can play in facilitating engagement between students from different “planning cultures.”