From June 19th to 23rd, 2023, teachers and students from CIVIS partner universities visited Paris Lodron University Salzburg as part of a Blended Intensive Program (BIP). These interuniversity courses are characterized by a hybrid model that combines monthly online lectures with a final blocked presence phase.

The BIP on “Participatory Tools for Urban Planning and Management” aimed to gain and promote insights and experiences in the field of participatory approaches in modern urban and spatial planning, utilizing geoinformation technologies. During the monthly online lectures, important theoretical foundations were taught and case studies were discussed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of participatory tools and their application in urban contexts.

The presence phase in Salzburg was the highlight of the BIP. During this intensive five-day event, participants had the opportunity to engage with participatory tools through workshops, practical exercises, and discussions. Students discussed topics such as urban nature, public participation, and various participatory tools including GIS, Self-Organizing Maps, network analysis, Open Labs, Story Maps, and Dashboards. The program was complemented by expert lectures from the Salzburg Geoinformation System (SAGIS) and various professors.

Project Context

“CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance” is a university alliance consisting of 11 universities, including Paris Lodron University Salzburg. It implements the “European Universities initiative” of the European Union, which aims to create a more unified European higher education area.

The CIVIS partnership enables participating universities to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise and advance joint research projects through interuniversity courses such as the BIP. This contributes to strengthening European collaboration in the field of higher education and the development of a sustainable and inclusive future.

 https://civis.eu/de