PILOTS 2026/27
The ‘Sustainable Urbanism & Planetary Health’ curriculum will be piloted in 5 cities in 2026: Bangalore, India; Lahore, Pakistan; Szczecin, Poland; Tehran, Iran; and Västerås, Sweden.
The pilots will:
- serve as a way to ‘test’ adapting the curriculum modules to diverse local contexts
- bring an engaging approach to learning about issues of sustainable urbanism to youth
- offer an opportunity for international research collaboration on a sustainability-themed education program
“It’s inspiring to see sustainability, urbanism, and children’s education brought together in such an engaging way.”
-Hajar Almasimashak (Tehran, Iran )
Bengaluru, India
A pilot in Bengaluru, India, will be led by Diana Sushmitha, an assistant professor who has specialized in cafe culture in the city. Her interest in this has led to her involvement in how education can link Ooru (Bengaluru) and the world, being rooted in the local and still belonging to the world at large.
Read more on Diana’s background and involvement, and the Bengaluru pilot taking shape at this LinkedIn post
Tehran, Iran
A pilot in Tehran, Iran, will be led by Hajar Almasimashak (Naaz), who leads community-based environmental education initiatives for and with children through participatory and arts-based methods, such as the ‘Our Green Neighborhood Initiative,’ which focuses on children, sustainability, and public space.
Read more on Naaz’s background and involvement, and the Tehran pilot taking shape at this LinkedIn post.
Västerås, Sweden
A pilot in Västerås, Sweden, will be led by Siriphan Liyawarakhun, an international educator working as an MYP Individuals and Societies teacher and Community Project Coordinator at Mälardalen International School, and interested in integrating themes of Sustainable Urbanism and Planetary Health into classroom learning units to strengthen inquiry-driven community-based learning and support students in connecting their local experiences with broader global perspectives.
Read more on Siriphan’s background and involvement, and the Tehran pilot taking shape at this LinkedIn post.
Lahore, Pakistan
A pilot in Lahore, Pakistan, will be led by Durre Shahwar, an international development researcher working in various research and faculty positions across different universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Her research sits at the intersection of Surveillance studies, techno-urbanism, climate resilience, education, and gender justice. She is currently interested in inquiring how the lack of safe and accessible transportation, with rising temperatures in urban Lahore, causes decreased female labour force participation. Her keen interest in sustainable walkability across urban neighborhoods attracted her to collaborate for integrating themes of Sustainable Urbanism and Planetary Health into the curriculum that can be piloted across elementary and secondary schools in Lahore.
Read more on Durre’s background and involvement and the Lahore pilot taking shape at this LinkedIn post.
Szczecin, Poland
I’m the founder of the NGO Pedestrian Space and an urban researcher. Having worked in diverse educational settings, as well as with students of all ages and diverse ‘special needs’, I bring a passion for engaging youth and connecting that engagement to my passion for issues of sustainable urbanism. I will be piloting the curriculum in Szczecin, Poland, at two schools—one international school and one for students on the autism spectrum.
For more information on the curriculum, pilots, and program, please visit the link below: