Italiano
From July 7th to 11th, 2025, Milan hosted the NbS Italy Week, an intense week dedicated to training, dialogue, and the promotion of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) within the national context. The event combined the second Annual Meeting of the NbS Italy Hub (July 7–9) and the international Summer School “From Planning to Action: A Summer School on Urban NbS for Professionals” (July 9–11), creating a unique networking opportunity aimed at strengthening practical skills in urban and territorial planning and regeneration, as well as fostering the development of a strategic vision at the national level.
The second Annual Meeting, organized in collaboration with the Metropolitan City of Milan, Politecnico di Milano, CNR-IRET, and with support from the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), was hosted at Palazzo Isimbardi, the seat of the Metropolitan City of Milan. The event brought together over one hundred participants, including planners, entrepreneurs, researchers, public administrators, and professionals. It offered a platform for discussion on the role of NbS in addressing pressing challenges such as climate change, air quality, economic and territorial regeneration, and the effective communication of solutions to society through public dissemination and integration into technical standards and regulations.
A key objective of the event was to advance the NbS value chain and explore ways to promote it within the framework of sustainable labor markets. Several leading institutions and organizations were invited to take part, including the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Legambiente, the Order of Agrarian Surveyors, ANCI Lombardia, the National Association of Building Contractors (ANCE), the National Council of Agronomists and Foresters (CONAF), the Milan Order of Architects (OAMi), the University of Bergamo, ATM (Milan Public Transport Company), ELMENEEIG, and FOMD.
The program featured two round tables, four parallel sessions, networking opportunities, and two poster sessions showcasing NbS-related research.
The first round table explored the growing role of the private sector in the promotion and implementation of NbS, highlighting case studies and opportunities for collaboration between businesses and local territories.
The second round table focused on key environmental, social, and economic challenges that NbS can help to address.
The parallel sessions were structured as workshops encouraging active contributions from participants in sharing good practices and proposing solutions to overcome barriers currently hindering the mainstreaming of NbS in Italy. Outcomes from these discussions will be compiled into a brief report to help guide future activities of the Hub.
A pivotal moment of the NbS Italy Week took place on July 9th with the “Metropolitan NbS Tour”. Acting as a bridge between the Annual Meeting and the Summer School, this field tour allowed participants from both initiatives to visit NbS implementation sites within municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Milan involved in the “Spongy Metropolitan City” Urban Integrated Plan (PUI) as well as in the CLEVER Cities and Forestami projects. The tour created a valuable synergy between training and networking, promoting the exchange of knowledge and experience among diverse participants.
On July 10th and 11th, the Summer School, hosted at the Politecnico di Milano, delved into the technical, financial, and governance aspects of NbS through lectures, hands-on exercises, and collaborative workshops. The Summer School welcomed 35 international participants selected from 115 applicants and was aimed at both academics and public sector professionals. It was organized by Politecnico di Milano, CNR-IRET, CNRS/LIVE-ENGEES, and ALTAMIRA, with support from NetworkNature and in collaboration with the NbS Italy Hub and NBFC. The initiative provided concrete tools for integrating NbS into urban planning, with particular attention to economic sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and co-creation as key levers for more inclusive governance.
The NbS Italy Hub Annual Meeting, together with the newly launched NbS School, is emerging as one of the key national initiatives for promoting Nature-based Solutions. The event served as a strategic moment for sharing experiences, assessing results, strengthening cross-sector dialogue, and raising awareness among public and private stakeholders on the importance of sustainable practices to enhance territorial resilience.
For more information and to access the materials presented during the event, click here.
