Experiential Walks for Challenging Planning Education: The Case of Laboratorio del Cammino

The chapter presents the Italian network of Laboratorio del Cammino (LdC) as a case-study for the application of experiential walking to university education. The goal is to describe objectives and distinctive features of the experimental approach of LdC and to underline its contribution in enriching contents and strengthening alternative pedagogical methodologies of urban and territorial planning. Firstly, the chapter critically underlines some theoretical features and the distinctive approach of walking, through a literature review in different disciplines. Then, it presents the core activity of LdC, an annual Summer School during which a group of students with different backgrounds walk together for 10–15 days for investigating territorial vulnerabilities. By explaining what are the aims, the actors involved and the distinctive project features, it highlights the ways in which the LdC frames and uses experiential walking. The chapter concludes by outlining what is the contribution of the project for challenging planning education.