Learning cities per la formazione dei docenti. Fenomenologia dell’esperienza per una pedagogia dell’esplorazione

How can urban exploration function as a site of learning? What epistemological frameworks can drive innovation in teacher education? As part of the EU Green Week, the W.E.R.S.Um. project engaged 100 undergraduate students in Primary Education Studies in a critical re-examination of the city as an educational milieu. Drawing on Keri Smith’s publications, participants systematically observed and documented the urban fabric, adopting a phenomenological stance to inhabit space intentionally and to cultivate an embodied understanding of the concept of citizenship. The analytical process, grounded in the examination of exploration journals and experiential data collection workshops, underscored the extent to which this methodological approach fostered critical reflexivity among future educators. This engagement facilitated the development of pedagogical tools for a transformative and inclusive educational practice, one deeply embedded in local contexts and conducive to the promotion of active citizenship within schools.