Since 2001, the UV is part of an academic exchange program with the University of Chiba, Japan, specifically with Dr. Toshio Kitahara, who has developed a concept of participatory urban design called Machizukuri, translatable as "making city". Within this agreement, community workshops were held annually, alternating venues between Chiba, Japan, and Veracruz, Mexico.

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In 2001, the theme was the public squares of the historic center in Xalapa, Ver; in 2005, a hybrid market: between the market and the supermarket; in 2007, housing complexes; in 2008, railway stations, in Xalapa and Cordoba; in 2009, Gyotoku, deteriorated historic site; in 2010, Ixtaczoquitlán, Sustainable University; 2011 Sawara, identity and tradition; 2012: River Sedeño, uniting 3 generations, in 2013, Naruto, reinvigorating around the River in 2014, inclusive public spaces in the historic center of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico in 2015 and public spaces in Chiba.

Dr. Donyun Kwak, is also professor at the University of Chiba, Japan and now, former head of the program since Dr. Kitahara's retire in 2014, so He has joined the project, an institutional program of the University of Chiba, called Post Urban Living Innovation, Education and Research Program (PULI), specifically with the project Living Environment Innovation (LEI), becoming a project partially funded by the U. of Chiba, and in double periodicity; this project has an initial term of 5 years (2015-2020).

The project neighborhood, city and coexistence, from the academic org. (CA) Sustainable Environments, is a project based on the “Machizukuri” supplemented with transdisciplinary vision of Basarab Nicolescu, who says that students need to understand the complexity of the city, through workshops Community diagnostics, design and feedback, with different social groups that inhabit it, passing through it, or make use of their different services, while the inhabitants, at the same time help to strengthen their own relationships; It is a re-evaluation of our work, through the dialogue of knowledges, from and for coexistence, with the site and its inhabitants.

Being the LEI, a 5 years Project, which seeks to investigate community processes in housing projects conceived from Invasions, Institutional orgs, (INFONAVIT or FOVISSSTE), or by a private company, this time, under the Workshop XV City and coexistence, from Monday 24 to Friday 28, will explore the origin of an irregular settlement in search of developing factors of coexistence and its reflection in the Quality of Life reflected, neighbors.

By other Side of the neighborhood Project, Identities and Coexistence, in coordination with the Project, and within the framework of the International Network for the Study of Community Spaces, it will investigate the Same detonating factors coexistence, and had the impact that they have had in Public policies through physical interventions in Xallitic’s places, in Carbón , San Jose, and Juarez Park.