ROME – The future has already entered the cities. Road safety, technological innovation, green infrastructure, electric mobility, the quality of public space and the role of the new generations in the circular economy are changing the appearance of Italian and European metropolises. Over 56% of the world population lives in cities and, according to UN estimates, the share will rise to 70% by 2050. In Italy the figure is already at 74%, with a projection of 80% by mid-century. The photograph comes from the second day of the ECO Festival of sustainable mobility and smart cities (Rome). According to data released by the organizers, Italian cities "generate over 60% of the GDP and concentrate the majority of energy consumption and emissions", and are thus "the nodal point of the ecological transition, the quality of public space and climate resilience".
Move as a right
For Eugenio Patanè, Councilor for Mobility of the Municipality of Rome: "the city of the future is one in which moving is an equal right for everyone: for those who have a car and for those who don't, for those who walk and for those who move in a wheelchair". Patanè recalled the interventions already started in the capital: road safety, new school roads, technology at the service of mobility, investments in public transport. "The transition is not just a question of innovation: it means giving back space to people and making the city more accessible, safe and resilient. Our goal is to ensure that a child can leave home, go to school alone and arrive safely in every neighborhood of the city".
Cars of the future and city safety
Urban road safety is the mantra for the President of ACI-Fondazione Caracciolo Giuseppina Fusco, who in Rome spoke of a challenge that will be profoundly redefined by the technological evolution of the automobile and the convergence between electrification and driving automation. Electric propulsion constitutes, in fact, the ideal platform for integrating automated driving technologies, the evolution of which will make possible a growing diffusion of on-demand mobility services, robotaxis, advanced car sharing and 'mobility as a service' (MaaS) models which will favor a more rational use of the private vehicle, reducing the number of cars and improving the safety and quality of urban space. For the Foundation: "The car of the future will have an enormous impact on our habits and on the economy as a whole, and its arrival looms much closer than we could have imagined just a year ago."
The development of electric mobility thanks to increasingly faster charging infrastructures present in crucial junctions of cities and motorways were the topics touched upon by Daniela Biscarini, Head of Charging Point Operator Italy at Enel, also a partner of ECO this year.
Sustainable innovation and smart cities
Amazon focused its speech on the value of technological innovation in terms of contribution to the company's sustainability objectives and impact on cities and customers. Stefano La Rovere, Global Director for Robotics, Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging, illustrated how artificial intelligence is increasing the efficiency of logistics processes, energy supply from carbon-free sources is becoming a pillar of the company's activities, the electrification of last mile transport is reducing emissions and how the reduction of unnecessary packaging represents a concrete commitment towards urban sustainability.
Natural capital as urban infrastructure in a changing climate
Urban forestation is today a decisive lever to combat climate change because it represents the only intervention capable, at the same time, of cooling cities, mitigating heat islands and improving air quality by compensating for the excess of cemented surfaces. Planting trees and creating green infrastructures means making urban spaces cooler and more livable, giving cities back a natural protection capacity that is lacking today. The importance of protecting common natural capital through a shared effort between the profit and non-profit world, public and private, is at the center of the strategy of Intesa Sanpaolo, which has renewed its support for the ECO Festival this year too. Andrea Pellegatta, arborist and member of the Coldiretti Florovivaismo National Council, spoke about the challenges of the climate crisis and the exceptional capacity for adaptation and resilience of trees, underlining how it is not enough to plant new trees but it is necessary to choose "the right species for the right place". Furthermore, the value of continuous and conscious care and management of the green heritage is fundamental, essential to protect biodiversity and guarantee vital ecosystem benefits to cities and citizens.
Historic centers and urban regeneration In the city, shops, public businesses and service activities are not just economic enterprises, but social centers, meeting places, factors of urban vitality that contribute to making the historic centers more attractive and the experience of citizens and visitors richer. Alessandro Cavo, Confcommercio Councilor for Historic Centres, highlighted how neighborhood trade is a shared heritage of the community and the country system, representing values of sociability, culture and livability. Regenerating historic centers means making cities more lively, sustainable and inclusive.
