The chair of the Bachelor’s Degree Program, Professor Valeria Lingua, and the delegate for research internationalization of the Master’s Degree Program, Camilla Perrone, receiving the award from Tijana Dabović, professor at the University of Belgrade and Chair of the AESOP Excellence in Education Board
AESOP’s Quality Recognition process is grounded in an ethos of peer-to-peer learning and engagement, reflection, and creativity, aimed at sparking positive change in response to contemporary social, economic, and environmental challenges. This recognition represents yet another opportunity to work together to strengthen and promote excellence in planning and urban design in higher education (https://aesop-planning.eu/activities/quality-recognition).
This outstanding achievement was presented on July 2, 2026, in Helsinki, during the AESOP General Assembly, by Professor Tijana Dabovic of the University of Belgrade, chair of the Excellence in Education Board (EBB), to Professor Valeria Lingua (who coordinated a working group consisting of Elisa Caruso, Silvio Cristiano, and Giuseppe De Luca) and to Professor Camilla Perrone, the internationalization delegate for the PPSUT Master’s Degree Program (who coordinated a working group consisting of David Fanfani, the coordinator of the English-language curriculum, Maria Rita Gisotti, and Elena Tarsi).
The Excellence in Education Board (AESOP’s evaluation committee) gave a very positive assessment of the “Territorialist School” approach for the PCTP Bachelor’s Degree Program, which provides a solid foundation for the course of study through multidisciplinary approaches, as well as the recent changes aimed at strengthening the disciplines of representation—from the interpretation of territories to the development of cartography, environmental design, and the feasibility and implementation of the plan; Meanwhile, for the PPSUT Master’s Degree Program, the Board recognized the excellence of the innovative philosophy behind the two parallel curricula—one in Italian and one in English—the centrality of the bioregionalist approach to managing global challenges, and the multidisciplinary nature and innovative teaching methodologies, such as those of the Bioregional Planning and Design Laboratories and the Prato Ready Lab. where theory, design, and practice prepare students to develop resilient, inclusive, and regenerative strategies for cities and regions (https://drive.google.com/file/d/14P8cg6oc7z1nJnz-olYgtS0j5Riii4Of/view?usp=share_link)
The certificate, valid through 2032, not only strengthens the international profile and appeal of the two Planning degree programs among Italian and international students, but also supports a path of consolidation and growth for the entire academic community that comprises them (faculty, staff, and students).
• Here is the Evaluation Report for the Master’s Degree Program in Planning and Design for Urban and Territorial Sustainability (PPSUT) https://aesop-planning.eu/activities/quality-recognition
• The evaluation report for the Bachelor’s Degree Program in City, Regional, and Landscape Planning (PCTP) will be published as soon as it is provided by the AESOP administrative office
For information:
Bachelor’s Degree Program – Prof. Valeria Lingua: valeria.lingua@unifi.it
Master’s Degree Program – Prof. Camilla Perrone: camilla.perrone@unifi.it