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The higher education scenario is constantly evolving and COVID-19 restrictions traced a demarcation line with previous behaviours and practices. Even though the European Commission spends many efforts to monitor the progresses, indicate the challenges as well as to give the perspectives, innovating the way in which we teach, especially about heritage & design, is rarely a priority.The article presents an interdisciplinary learning activity carried out within the RAILtoLAND (RtL) project, a co-funded Erasmus+ project under the Key Action 2 "Cooperation for innovation". RtL is a collective ideation platform to develop innovative tools to communicate the European Cultural Landscapes by train and it has the goal to explore the social and educational value of the railway landscape as a common heritage and as a catalyst for European identity.The workshop was carried out in the Sub-Apennine area dealing with two complementary and fundamental topics "Digital Heritage & Design Thinking", experiencing virtual events and innovative practices for the knowledge, narrative and design of heritage and landscape. The workshop stemmed from an interdisciplinary approach: experts in digital cultural heritage, survey and representation techniques, geomatics, and urban and landscape designers brought together their expertise and performed a ground-breaking study activity. The learning activities involved areas in the Marche Region (Italy) through on field activities, and the Porto-Vigo railway line (Portugal-Spain) through the experience of a virtual trip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated analysis of recent climate change (including atmosphere, sea and land), and social reaction and adaptation, was conducted in central Italy and the northern portion of the Adriatic Sea. The collected environmental data included meteorological, oceanographic, and river gauges stations, covering the time period 1961-2009. Social data included 800 questionnaires and interviews carried out on selected samples of residents, decision-makers, and emergency managers. The trend analysis of air temperature data detailed an overall increase in all seasons, whereas rainfall data showed decrease in winter, spring, and summer, and increase in autumn, influencing river flow changes. Marine data showed a warming of the water column after the year 1990, particularly relevant in the cold season. Surface salinity increased in spring and summer and strongly decreased in autumn and also in winter (due to the spreading over the basin of the increased autumnal river runoff). These changes, combined with anthropogenic effects, appear to influence the northern Adriatic marine environment and ecosystems. Impacts in the coastal areas are also evident inland; the analysis of Aridity index, and potential water deficit, suggests negative impacts in terms of soil deterioration and agricultural productivity, particularly in the area near the coastline. At the same time, the analysis of social data revealed awareness among local residents of these impacts and associated risks connected to climate change. Yet, this awareness is not currently translated into preventive and protective actions; among the main reasons for this delay is also ineffective information exchange among citizens, public administrators, and the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]