Smile City Annual Meeting
Three days to plan the next steps toward greener, circular, and low-climate-impact cities: from January 28 to 30, 2026, CNR-IRPPS, with Alessia D’Andrea and Arianna D’Ulizia, coordinated the Annual Meeting of the European project SMILE CITY – Sustainable Materials for Innovative Low Emissions Applications in the Circular City.
SMILE CITY, funded by the Horizon Europe framework program, brings together 35 partners from over 12 countries including research institutions, universities, local authorities, industries, and European organizations. The project aims to develop and demonstrate innovative systemic solutions to integrate recycled materials and circular processes into urban infrastructure and support the expansion of sustainable cycling mobility across Europe.
The project aims to create over 100 km of cycle paths built with recycled materials; install 20 charging stations for electric bicycles and innovative mobility hubs in various European cities; use materials derived from recycled waste to create durable and sustainable urban infrastructure; and develop digital tools and mobile applications to promote efficient and integrated use of sustainable mobility.
During the first two days, hosted by the National Research Council, discussions focused on the project’s progress, analyses of urban mobility and urban design in the involved cities, and the environmental and health impacts of the developed solutions. Partners also examined the characteristics of the systemic circular solutions to be implemented, focusing on recycled materials and developed products, tests conducted, and remaining challenges. The role of digital tools in supporting sustainable mobility was also addressed, such as the development of a digital app planned by the project, along with strategies for the valorization of results, including the development of policy recommendations and impact assessments.
The third day, held at CNR-IRPPS, centered on Urban Living Labs, co-design processes open to students, designers, researchers, and innovators, which are currently being launched in several Italian cities.
To learn more, visit the project website: https://smile-city
