Nicosia: The InPlanEd project, a collaborative initiative aimed at advancing integrated planning in higher education, has successfully concluded after 28 months of dedicated work. Led by the National Technical University of Athens and involving partners from Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and Belgium, the project received co-funding from the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the project sought to establish a Collaborative Educational Prototype focused on inclusive, people-centric, and climate-resilient planning. The initiative aligned with the objectives of the New European Bauhaus, the Green Deal, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Partners included the University of Cyprus, commonspace in Greece, the Association of European Schools of Planning in Belgium, and Noumena in Spain.
Throughout the project, the consortium achieved several milestones. These included analyzing competence profiles and curricula in integrated planning, identifying areas for improvement in participatory and mobility planning approaches across European planning schools. A COIL modular course titled ‘Integrated Approaches in the Planning of Inclusive, People-centric and Climate-resilient Cities’ was developed and piloted at the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Cyprus. The course was successfully implemented during the 2024-2025 winter academic semester.
In addition, the project produced open educational resources and digital tools to support blended, collaborative, and intercultural learning, which will continue to be available online. Teaching staff and students were engaged in both virtual and physical learning environments, enhancing their digital and green competencies. Transnational Knowledge Exchange Workshops were organized in Nicosia and Athens to evaluate and refine the COIL curriculum based on practical experiences.
A practical Implementation Guide was created for teaching staff, providing directions for integrating the COIL methodology into university curricula. The guide includes lessons learned from the pilot course, best practices on teaching strategies, and practical tips for group work coordination and academic alignment.
The project’s achievements and resources can be accessed through social media platforms and the project’s website, offering the latest research, educational materials, and opportunities for connecting with individuals and organizations dedicated to sustainable urban planning.