URBASOFIA

As part of WOODCIRCLES' mission to advance circular solutions in wood use, our recent meeting in Comune di Torino offered hands-on insights into real-world applications. The consortium visited Iren’s Circular Wood facility, which processes approximately 110,000 tons of wood annually—equivalent to saving 115,000 trees each year. About 70% of this wood is sourced from households, while the remaining 30% comes from construction and demolition waste within the Piedmont Region. The facility’s fully digitalized operations enable the seamless transformation of wood waste into pallets and pallet blocks, showcasing cutting-edge circular economy practices. Through the city-specific experimentation activities in Comune di Torino, these recycled wood materials were used in an art installation at the PARATISSIMA fair and later repurposed into benches and a library for a school. More about the meeting here: https://lnkd.in/dEbX-54J

As part of WOODCIRCLES' mission to advance circular solutions in wood use, our recent meeting in Comune di Torino offered hands-on insights into real-world applications. The consortium visited Iren’s Circular Wood facility, which processes approximately 110,000 tons of wood annually—equivalent to saving 115,000 trees each year. About 70% of this wood is sourced from households, while the remaining 30% comes from construction and demolition waste within the Piedmont Region. The facility’s fully digitalized operations enable the seamless transformation of wood waste into pallets and pallet blocks, showcasing cutting-edge circular economy practices. Through the city-specific experimentation activities in Comune di Torino, these recycled wood materials were used in an art installation at the PARATISSIMA fair and later repurposed into benches and a library for a school. More about the meeting here: https://lnkd.in/dEbX-54J

This December, members of the #WOODCIRCLES_eu consortium convened in Turin, Italy, to exchange updates and insights from 18 months of dedicated research. As part of a four-year initiative centered on #circulareconomy principles, this milestone gathering offered a chance to review achievements, tackle challenges, and outline the path forward. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dEbX-54J

NONA Project Event Recap! Earlier this December, Ravne na Koroškem hosted an incredible gathering of experts and stakeholders as part of the NONA Project. This flagship initiative of the New European Bauhaus on the Danube showcased innovative approaches to sustainable development, emphasizing green investments in small and mid-sized towns. The event showcased transformative pilot projects, innovative solutions, and meaningful discussions about the future of green transitions. A highlight was witnessing how Ravne na Koroškem, with its industrial heritage and stunning landscapes, exemplifies the potential for sustainable growth. 💡💚 A big thank you to Iskriva, the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, and Geodetic Institute of Slovenia (GIS) for hosting us! #NONA #RavnenaKoroškem #GreenInvestment #NewGovernanceforNewSpaces #InterregDanubeRegion #NONA

A Systems Perspective on the Circular Use of Wood in Rotterdam This week, together with Gemeente Rotterdam, ICONS Innovation Strategies, and ClarityMaps®, we organized the first local workshop in Rotterdam, one of the three Pilot Cities in the WOODCIRCLES project. Participants built and explored the system using 3D Mapping, an intuitive and interactive method to jointly identify stakeholders and understand system dynamics. Special thanks to Jochem Cooiman and Joep van Leeuwen for hosting us, presenting the Rotterdam Circulair Program, and showcasing relevant locations in the city. A big shoutout to Gianne Tillema for integrating this fun and engaging systems-thinking approach into the workshop objectives. This workshop is the first step of an ongoing local engagement process to co-develop a sustainability strategy and action plan for the Gemeente Rotterdam aimed at fast-tracking investments in wood-based building systems and circular use of wood waste in construction. Madalina RUSEN Giorgia Romagnoli

Tuesday, I had the honor of participating as a panelist at the Satellite-based Services for Disaster Risk Management in Romania workshop, organized by Eurisy, Romanian Space Agency, and EUSPA - EU Agency for the Space Programme at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. My presentation, titled "Leveraging Geospatial Data for Urban Innovation. Shaping Sustainable Cities through Maps ", highlighted the critical importance of satellite imagery, geospatial data, and GIS for urban planners in addressing disaster risk. These tools enable informed decision-making at all stages of the disaster management cycle—prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery—while fostering safer, more resilient urban areas. I presented several of our key projects from URBASOFIA & URBAN2020 Association, including HARMONIA, which focuses on enhancing the climate resilience of cities and communities, leveraging satellite data to address climate risks and hazards. I also presented KINETIC Project 2022, a Positive Energy District project where geo-data plays a crucial role in designing energy-efficient, climate-responsive urban areas and of course I could not conduct this session without mentioning both EUthMappers and its predecessor GIS4Schools, which promote STEM education through the use of GIS and geospatial data, empowering young generations to understand and address environmental and urban challenges. I tried to emphasize the importance of collaboration and inclusivity in disaster management and climate resilience. The Public-Private-People Partnership approach highlights the need for active engagement of local communities to co-create sustainable and impactful solutions. Similarly, the Quadruple Helix Approach integrates academia, industry, public institutions, and civil society, ensuring diverse perspectives and expertise are brought together to foster innovation and develop comprehensive, effective strategies for disaster management. The private sector's role is particularly crucial. Businesses bring cutting-edge technologies, resources, and innovation, helping to operationalize satellite-based services and make them accessible for urban planning and disaster management. Their involvement bridges the gap between research and real-world application, driving progress and scalability. I emphasized that satellite data and geospatial tools are game-changers in urban planning. They enable us to monitor, assess, and mitigate risks in real-time, supporting data-driven decisions that ensure cities are not only prepared for disasters but are also resilient against long-term climate impacts. I am deeply grateful to the event organizers for inviting me and for creating this platform to share knowledge and best practices. Special thanks to our panel moderator, Annalisa Donati, Secretary General of Eurisy (to whom I also need to thank for the invitation), and my fellow panelists—for their insightful contributions and inspiring discussions.

🌍✨ You're Invited to the EUthMappers Webinar! ✨🌍 📅 Date: 13.12.2024 🕙 Time: 10:00 CET 💻 Where: Online 📝 Register here: https://lnkd.in/d9mFRjwp 🌟 Mapping Change: Pupils Shaping Their World with EUthMappers 🌟 Be part of this inspiring webinar where students across Europe showcase how they’re using mapping to address real-world environmental challenges and drive meaningful change! Agenda Highlights: 🗺️ Behind the Maps: Explore the methodology behind WP3 with Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 🎙️ Voices of Change: Hear stories directly from students and teachers about their impactful local mapping projects. ❓ Interactive Q&A: Share ideas, ask questions, and gain fresh insights! This is more than an event—it’s a celebration of education, innovation, and collaboration. Let’s map the way to a brighter future together! ✨ Save your spot and join us! ✨ #EUthMappers #GIS #MappingForChange #InnovationInEducation #Collaboration

You're Invited to the EUthMappers Webinar! Date: 13.12.2024 Time: 10:00 CET Where: Online (Access link to follow) Mapping Change: Pupils Shaping Their World with EUthMappers Join us for an inspiring journey into how young minds across Europe are using mapping to tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful change. This is more than a webinar—it’s a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the power of education! What’s on the Agenda? - Behind the Maps: Exploring WP3’s Journey and Methodology Discover how mapping meets problem-solving as the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid reveals the methodology empowering students to take action on environmental challenges. - Voices of Change: Stories from the Schools Hear directly from students and teachers across Europe as they share their local mapping projects, their inspirations, and the impact they’re making. - Your Turn to Ask: Interactive Q&A Session Have questions? Let’s talk about your ideas, challenges, and everything in between with insights from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. This is your chance to see GIS in action, learn about impactful educational practices, and be part of the conversation shaping our shared future. More info about the event will follow as we'll also provide a registration form. Don't miss it—let's map the way forward together! #EUthMappers #MappingChange #EducationForImpact #GIS #Innovation

Happy GIS Day! Maps are more than just directions—they're windows into possibilities! For planners, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is the ultimate superpower. With GIS, we can: Visualize data—from energy use to biodiversity hotspots. Plan smarter cities by analyzing everything from traffic flows to green space access. Empower communities by making data-driven decisions visible and understandable to everyone. At URBAN2020, we believe great planning starts with great maps. Let’s keep reshaping our cities for a brighter & sustainable future! For most of our projects and initiatives maps and geospatial data were fundamental to our work. Through GIS4Schools and EUthMappers, we’ve introduced secondary school students to GIS and STEM, empowering them to analyze their communities innovatively. In PROWD, we explore urban mobility challenges in low-density areas, while SPADES4Soils focuses on integrating soil data into spatial planning and design. GIS helps us visualize, understand, and address complex urban and environmental issues—shaping smarter, data-driven decisions across all our initiatives!

Exciting news! 🌍✨ 'TIMBERHAUS' project launches its journey to advance wood construction in Europe, aiming to slash the built environment's carbon footprint.  ‘TIMBERHAUS’, is a new European research and innovation project led by the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) that was launched in Copenhagen on the 5th- 6th of November 2024. The project will support key EU initiatives such as the EU Forest Strategy and the New European Bauhaus (NEB), addressing the heavy over-dependence on only a few tree species, as well as a wood processing industry that is not adapted to work with diverse input of tree species and qualities It seeks to accelerate the uptake of wood in construction by harnessing the potential of currently under-used hardwood species and post-consumer wood to create sustainable, high-performance construction products and designs, enable more efficient use of forest resources, and promote sustainable urban development through innovative wood construction practices. URBASOFIA will collaborate closely with Climate-KIC, ETH Zürich, Demos Helsinki, and 3 European cities Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen, Primaria Municipiului Baia Mare, Comune di Siena to assess the systemic challenges and opportunities for climate-smart wood use in construction, embed the NEB values and principles through local innovative participatory approaches, formulate decarbonization strategies for buildings, and deliver actionable policy recommendations and roadmaps to expand wood construction across Europe. Stay tuned for updates as we bring TIMBERHAUS to life! 🌱🏗️ Diagrams by Waugh Thistleton Architects Partners Danish Technological Institute, Waugh Thistleton Architects, Climate-KIC, Metabolic , Junckers A/S, Demos Helsinki, Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen, Tegel Projekt GmbH, Built by Nature, Bauhaus Earth,Primaria Municipiului Baia Mare, Grupo Gámiz ,ICONS Innovation Strategies, Pfeifer Holding GmbH, University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet), Comune di Siena, Empa, ETH Zürich