BIP Colonia – Ideal Plaza

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) are a new funding scheme under the Erasmus+ Programme. BIP are international learning activities combining online seminars and a short physical mobility, designed around a “challenge-based” approach.

The BIP “Ideal Plaza” will explore the evolving role of plazas in European cities, focusing on their potential as inclusive third places—spaces beyond home and work that foster dialogue, coexistence, and belonging. Hosted in Cologne by TH Köln,, this programme invites students to reimagine urban public spaces in the face of polycrises, considering how plazas can function as civic and ecological commons.

STRUCTURE AND TIMELINE

The programme is divided into three phases: preparatory activities, an onsite workshop, and final presentations.

• Pre-Workshop Preparation (10^th Oct 2025, kick off meeting):
  Students will begin with individual reflections, reading assignments, and fieldwork in their home cities, identifying and analyzing a personal “third place” through the lens of theory and lived experience. Each student will submit a “Homebase Journal” with a short written reflection and photos, to be brought to Cologne for sharing and discussion.
• On-Site Workshop in Cologne (19–24 October 2025):
  Participants will explore the Liebig Quarter through guided activities and meetings with local actors, including the City of Cologne, the local church, and Klug e.V. They will work in international groups to tackle three interconnected challenges: envisioning a new shared public space (“The Ideal Plaza”), developing a sustainable plan for Klug e.V., and reimagining the role of a local church.
• Online Collaborative Phase (31-October 2025 – Jan 2026):
  From late October, students will meet regularly online for joint working sessions and weekly teaching inputs. Each group will refine their proposals through research, prototyping, and feedback loops, culminating in:
  • Midterm Online Presentation – 5 December 2025
  • Final Presentation – 23 January 2026
  • Individual Reflection Submission – 31 January 2026

CHALLENGES AND CASES

Each international group will address three real-world challenges in the Liebig Quarter:

1. Klug e.V.: Develop a plan for community engagement and sustainability on limited resources.
2. The Ideal Plaza: Identify a location and propose a new, inclusive public space that is ecologically, socially, and economically viable.
3. The Local Church: Propose a repurposing concept aligned with values of inclusion, care, and justice.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

The BIP will involve up to 100 students from the partner universities, which are based in Germany, France, Italy, and Portugal. Up to 5 Iuav students will be selected to participate  to this workshop. All the activities will be carried out in English, hence fluent speaking and understanding skills are required, as well as basic writing skills (for the work to be delivered)!!!

For the University Iuav of Venice, eligible students are those enrolled in one of the following tracks:

• Magistrale in Architettura and MA in Architecture
• Magistrale in Urbanistica e pianificazione del territorio (MS in Urban Planning for Transition + Urbanistica e Pianificazione per la Transizione)

important notice: Students who are due to graduate in the October, November, or December 2025 sessions or are enrolled in other Erasmus mobility activities for study and/or traineeship are not eligible to apply for the workshop.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

This BIP blends theory and practice, encouraging students to:

• Use interdisciplinary methods to analyze and redesign public space
• Collaborate with stakeholders through participatory and design-led approaches
• Develop creative, inclusive, and sustainable concepts for urban transformation
• Reflect critically on public space’s role in community-building and urban ecology

Participants will gain research, collaboration, and communication skills, while also deepening their understanding of urban sustainability and inclusive placemaking across different European contexts.

CREDITS

For Iuav students the participation to the workshop will be recognized as intensive workshop and will be granted with 6 ECTS (CFU type D). In order to obtain these credits, participation students must participate in:

• 1 kick-off meeting
• On site week
• 1 midterm review
• 1 final presentation
• 9 on-line teaching sessions

FUNDING AND APPLICATION

Up to 5 grants will be available for selected Iuav students up to a maximum of €941.00, detailed as follows:

• individual support of €79.00 per day for 8 days (1 day for travel out + 6 days of activities + 1 day for return travel = €632.00);
• €309.00 travel contribution.

Additional information regarding possible supplementary contributions and/or support for students with fewer opportunities will be communicated directly to the eligible students once the selection process is completed.

Please note that:

• The Erasmus grant and the awarding of the corresponding ECTS credits will be granted exclusively to students who participate in the full duration of the workshop — both online (before and after) and in person — and who submit the assigned work.
• scholarship will be paid upon conclusion of the BIP, when credits will be registered (i.e. students will have to book travel and accommodation themselves and advance all their expenses)

 To apply >> please fill this form

DEADLINE: Applications must be submitted by Sunday, September 7, 2025

PARTNER UNIVERSITIES

• TH Köln, Cologne (Germany) – Host Institution
• Université Gustave Eiffel, Paris (France)
• ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
• Università Iuav di Venezia, Italy

LOCAL PARTNERS

• City of Cologne
• Klug e.V.
• Local church/parish of the Liebig Quarter

This Erasmus+ BIP offers a transformative opportunity to co-design futures for civic spaces by combining interdisciplinary learning, stakeholder engagement, and real-world application.

Download here >> Ideal Plaza Factsheet