02/10/2026
RCDC participated in the URWAN project meeting held on 22–23 September 2026 in Ragusa and Ferla, Sicily, bringing together project partners from across the Mediterranean. The two-day programme focused on the next phase of URWAN, including the Enabler Pack and Checklist, Territorial Analysis, local governance, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), the Start Park methodology, communication and future project activities.
Together with the other project partners, RCDC presented its local context and approach, while the Municipality of Durrës, URWAN Associated Partner, joined online and presented the proposed local site and relevant urban challenges. In Ferla, participants also visited practical examples of sustainable solutions, including a school where a vertical green wall was combined with a filtered water reuse system, and a community facility hosting an exhibition on scientific and energy-related initiatives developed by the Italian project partner SVI.MED together with the local community. The experience of Ferla offered an inspiring example of how even a small municipality can combine green solutions, energy transition and community participation.
The meeting also outlined the next steps for the receiver territories. For RCDC, these include the Territorial Analysis, selection of the local site in cooperation with the Municipality of Durrës, adaptation of URWAN materials, participation in the URWAN School in Rome, and implementation of the Start Park co-design process with the local community. Start Park places residents at the center of designing greener and more climate-resilient public spaces, with the results feeding into a Masterplan that can provide a basis for future sustainable urban interventions.