The City from Above: Success for the GREENO2 Multiplier Event at the Festival of Green and Landscape 2026
Rome, April 10, 2026
In an outstanding setting such as the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the European project GREENO2 – Green Roofs in Higher Education Institutions as sustainable cEnters for research, participation, ENvironmental consciousness and O₂ generation (co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme) hosted a well-attended and inspiring Multiplier Event במסגרת the Festival of Green and Landscape 2026, confirming its role as a concrete platform for dialogue between research, innovation, and communities.
The event, organized by the University of Tuscia (UNITUS) in collaboration with LIM Srl, and in synergy with the stakeholder ANCI Lazio through the URWAN project, took place from 10:00 to 13:00, offering a comprehensive reflection on the role of cities and green infrastructure in the ecological transition.
At the heart of the discussion was the vision of rethinking the city “from above,” where rooftops, urban surfaces, and integrated natural systems become key elements for climate resilience and urban quality of life.
Opening Session and Strategic Vision of the Project
The event opened with an introductory framework focused on the objectives of the GREENO2 project and the key challenges of contemporary urban regeneration. This session was supported by scientific materials and contributions developed within the project, highlighting the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as essential tools to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land consumption.
The coordination of the event was entrusted to Giorgio Scavino, who moderated the entire session, ensuring narrative continuity across the contributions and fostering dialogue between European projects and local experiences.
The GREENO2 Training Path: Skills for the Ecological Transition
The first technical contribution focused on the GREENO2 free training programme (MOOC on EDUOPEN), presented through project materials and contributions led by Prof. Andrea Colantoni (University of Tuscia), the project’s scientific coordinator.
The course represents one of the project’s key outputs and offers a structured learning path covering urban sustainability, Nature-based Solutions, green roof design and management, European case studies, and practical tools for students and professionals.
Available in English on the EDUOPEN platform and in partner countries’ languages (Italian, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Spanish, and Ukrainian) through the University of Cádiz MOOC platform, the GREENO2 course was presented as an open, accessible, and fully replicable tool. It is designed to strengthen interdisciplinary skills and promote a new culture of sustainable urban design, starting from higher education institutions, which have been actively engaged and sensitized on the topic of green roofs. The aim is to expand awareness and stimulate interest among students, researchers, public authorities, professionals, and stakeholders in innovative solutions for urban regeneration and ecological transition.
Innovation in Green, Blue, and Purple Roofs
Technological and design innovations related to green, blue, and purple roof systems were presented through the scientific contribution of Prof. Raffaele Pelorosso (University of Tuscia, DAFNE Department).
The presentation provided a comprehensive perspective on the role of Nature-based Solutions within contemporary urban planning, framing green roofs within a broader paradigm shift toward performance-based approaches.
Central to this perspective was the concept of Performance-Based Urban Planning (PBP), understood as a model that optimizes the spatial and functional organization of cities through explicit and localized performance indicators. In this framework, cities are no longer governed solely by rigid regulations or static zoning systems, but by flexible tools capable of addressing the complexity of socio-ecological urban systems.
The intervention emphasized that urban sustainability is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and that addressing it requires moving beyond traditional technocratic approaches, often unable to manage complexity or support bottom-up processes of urban regeneration. Instead, planning should embrace and foster urban complexity as a resource.
Within this framework, performance-based urban green planning represents a significant evolution beyond traditional quantitative approaches. The focus shifts from purely quantitative metrics—such as green space per capita—to the quality of ecological, social, and environmental functions delivered by green infrastructure. This perspective recognizes urban green areas as active components of the urban system, capable of generating ecosystem services and contributing to environmental justice.
The concept of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) was further explored as an interconnected network of green spaces and Nature-based Solutions integrated within the built environment, providing multiple Urban Ecosystem Services and enhancing socio-ecological resilience. This network includes not only parks and natural areas, but also hybrid infrastructures such as green roofs, permeable surfaces, sustainable drainage systems, infiltration basins, and constructed wetlands.
A key aspect highlighted was the need to design Nature-based Solutions in an adaptive and context-specific way, considering local environmental conditions and broader spatial dynamics. This implies moving from performance-based design toward performance-based planning at landscape or watershed scale.
Within this context, green, blue, and purple roofs were presented as advanced multifunctional infrastructures. Green roofs enhance biodiversity and microclimate, blue-green roofs integrate stormwater management, while purple roofs—passive detention systems—delay runoff peaks with cost-effective and nature-based mechanisms.
The analysis also highlighted key factors influencing system performance, such as soil moisture, substrate depth and composition, vegetation cover, and climatic conditions. Particular attention was given to the Antecedent Dry Weather Period (ADWP), a crucial parameter affecting water retention capacity.
The contribution also introduced the work of the MechHydroLab, a multidisciplinary laboratory combining mechanical engineering, hydrology, and agronomy to develop advanced environmental monitoring systems and test innovative Nature-based Solutions.
Overall, the intervention outlined an evolving vision of urban planning, where green infrastructures are no longer isolated elements but integrated components of a complex and interconnected system.
URWAN and Nature-Based Solutions in Rome
The session on territorial applications was introduced by Andrea Vignoli (ANCI Lazio), who presented the URWAN project and its focus on implementing Nature-based Solutions in Rome.
Barbara Bonadies (IRIDRA Srl) then illustrated the technologies and expected outcomes of a pilot intervention on greywater reuse at the “Matteo Ricci” school in Rome, highlighting the importance of real-world experimentation.
Citizen Science and Urban Biodiversity Monitoring
A central part of the event focused on citizen science and urban biodiversity monitoring, emphasizing the active role of citizens in urban transformation processes.
Among the contributions, Giorgio Scavino presented the RealUrbanGreen project, focusing on the Monte Ciocci Park pilot and the development of a shared management handbook for urban green spaces. Scientific insights on urban pollinators were further enriched by the contribution of Francesca Martelli (Roma Tre University), connected to the activities of the Horti Urbis project. Her contribution highlighted the crucial ecological role of pollinators in urban environments, not only as indicators of biodiversity but also as essential agents for the functioning of urban ecosystems.
Drawing on the Horti Urbis experience, the intervention emphasized how educational gardens and urban green spaces can become living laboratories for environmental education and biodiversity monitoring. Particular attention was given to the importance of designing cities that support pollinator habitats through diverse vegetation, seasonal flowering continuity, and reduced use of pesticides.
The contribution also underlined how integrating scientific research, education, and citizen engagement can foster greater awareness of the ecological value of pollinators, positioning them as key actors in urban resilience and sustainability strategies.
The participatory monitoring system via the GREENGAGE app, presented by Giulia Navarra (Politecnico di Torino – ECOINSPIRE LAB ETS), highlighted how digital tools can support new forms of participatory urban governance. The app enables citizens to collect data and observations using their smartphones, contributing to digital observatories such as the Monte Ciocci Park pilot. Through defined Points of Interest, users engage in structured activities such as surveys, biodiversity monitoring, and environmental observations. This approach integrates social and environmental dimensions, including perception of safety, inclusivity, biodiversity, and environmental awareness, transforming participation into structured knowledge production.
The final roundtable, moderated by Giorgio Scavino, provided a space for dialogue among diverse perspectives.
Maria Emanuela Galanti (Deep Ecology) emphasized the cultural and emotional dimensions of ecological transition, highlighting the importance of awareness-building and experiential learning.
Antonino Cutugno (PRAD Architettura) focused on translating sustainability principles into concrete architectural solutions, drawing from international experience and his current work in Poggio Moiano, where he develops locally rooted integrated projects.
A lighter and engaging contribution by Nonno Pas added an accessible perspective, reminding participants of the importance of simple language in spreading ecological awareness.
GREENO2 Contest: where green meets research
Another key moment of the event was the launch and presentation of the GREENO2 Contest – “Where Green Meets Research: Your Space for Ideas and Oxygen”, an initiative designed to actively engage students and stakeholders in the co-creation of innovative Nature-based Solutions.
The contest is addressed primarily to students from the universities involved in the GREENO2 partnership, while also opening participation to a broader community interested in sustainable urban innovation. The challenge focuses on the development of ideas for rainwater collection and management systems integrated into the green roof of a future gazebo, to be built alongside a bio-lake in Monte Ciocci Park (Rome).
Participants are invited to propose solutions that combine environmental performance, creativity, and social value, contributing to the design of a multifunctional space capable of collecting and reusing rainwater, supporting the ecological balance of the bio-lake, enhancing oxygen production and urban biodiversity, and transforming the gazebo into a place for research, education, and community interaction.
Submissions may take different forms, including short video concepts, design proposals, sketches, or visual ideas accompanied by a brief description, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the initiative.
The contest will remain open until July 2026, with the announcement of the selected proposals scheduled for August 2026. The most innovative contributions will then be further developed and presented during a series of public seminars in autumn 2026, to be hosted directly in the pilot area of Monte Ciocci Park, within the future green gazebo.
The contest represents a concrete opportunity to translate theoretical knowledge into practical solutions, demonstrating how integrated systems—such as green roofs combined with water harvesting and ecological infrastructures—can improve urban resilience and quality of life. At the same time, it reinforces the project’s commitment to participation, experimentation, and the co-creation of sustainable urban spaces.
Additional contributions were shared by Bogdana Nosova (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) and Paolo Di Paolo (LIM Srl).
The success of the Multiplier Event confirms GREENO2 as a European platform for educational, scientific, and social innovation.
The event demonstrated that urban regeneration is not only a technical challenge but a cultural and collective process, built on collaboration between knowledge systems and communities.
As clearly emerged throughout the day, the city of the future is designed from above, but shaped and regenerated through the active participation of the communities that inhabit it.