Urban Design education is fed, among other sources, by direct experience of cities. The Urban Architecture Studio, framed in the agreement between the ETSAV-UPC_BarcelonaTECH and the Illinois School of Architecture-UIUC, has been developed in Chicago and Barcelona for the last two years, thus benefiting from the vibrant urban conditions and the acknowledged good urban practices in both metropolises. Capitalizing on ongoing processes of urban regeneration, the Studio has been testing methodologies and approaches to similar challenges in both cities. The paper presents five pedagogical principles that build the methodological structure of the Studio. First conclusions about this ongoing Euro-American teaching experience are also announced.