This paper presents the outcomes of a grant-awarded pedagogical pilot at the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT), developed in response to the growing demand for interdisciplinary professionals capable of addressing complex, real-world challenges. Recognizing that today’s infrastructure problems - such as climate change, social inequities, and urban resilience - require integrative solutions, the project brought together 22 Civil Engineering (CE) and Urban Design (UDE) students to co-develop proposals grounded in community engagement, environmental stewardship, and equity.

What made this experience particularly impactful was its grounding in two real-world contexts: the university’s Campus Master Planning process and the 2025 EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge. The master plan provided a tangible, high-stakes setting for students to propose meaningful interventions for their own campus, while the national competition introduced the responsibility of working toward a major shared deliverable under a strict timeline. These structures framed the capstone as both authentic and consequential - enhancing student motivation, ownership, and professional accountability.

The year-long capstone (2024 - 2025) was intentionally structured to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning. Course content was adapted to support cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange through joint geospatial analysis, stakeholder engagement, field observations, and co-curricular activities such as “Tech Talks,” midterm and final reviews, and design sprints. Over 15 professionals from engineering, architecture, and environmental design fields provided ongoing mentorship and feedback.

Within this collaborative framework, UDE students focused on the planning and conceptual design phase, synthesizing community input and spatial analysis to shape the project’s overall direction. CE students, in turn, carried forward specific components of the plan through individual technical projects, developing detailed solutions in areas such as roadway geometric design, green stormwater infrastructure, and the structural design of a proposed pedestrian bridge. This dual-track approach allowed students to both collaborate across disciplines and deepen expertise within their respective fields.

Pedagogical assessment included a pre-/post-test survey and weekly reflective journals. Students reported increased technical fluency beyond their home discipline, and a range of challenges with practical aspects of interdisciplinary collaboration. Reflections demonstrated growth in systems thinking, stakeholder awareness, and ethical decision-making. Some students identified the experience as pivotal in shaping their professional identity and understanding of engineering’s societal role.

This paper shares data-informed insights and a replicable framework for interdisciplinary learning into engineering and design curricula. It illustrates how capstone experiences rooted in authentic, real-world projects and shared deliverables can develop the adaptive, civic-minded professionals needed to address the “wicked problems” of our time.

Keywords: Interdisciplinary Pedagogy, Problem-based Learning, Civil Engineering Education, Urban Design Education, Sustainable Infrastructure Design.