Two complementary pilot activities in Milan and Barcelona will co-create new objects through a Neighbourhood Participatory Approach supported by Collaborative Digital tools.
The first event focused on material demanufacturing and reprocessing will take place from 26 September to 5 October 2025 in Milan. At the heart of the event will be a mobile plant housed on a truck, stationed in the city and open to all stakeholders.
- Experts will offer knowledge-sharing sessions and training opportunities.
- Citizens will be invited to share their needs and expectations.
- Artists will participate in artistic residencies, contributing creative solutions inspired by art and culture—going beyond mere functionality.
- Urban Factories will join the initiative through a Cascade Funding mechanism.
Together, these activities aim to co-create active urban ecosystems that support the circular economy in Europe.
YouRban Festival in Milan:
Designing Together for a Circular Future
The city of Milan will host the first pilot demonstration of the YouRban project, showcasing an innovative and participatory approach to urban circularity. Centered on the reprocessing of reinforced polymers, the event will take place over 10 days, from the 26th of September to the 5th of October 2025, and will feature a mobile reprocessing plant installed on a truck. This mobile unit will act as an open and collaborative space for citizens, professionals, artists, and stakeholders. The pilot tests the Urban CoCreation methodology, engaging the local community through artistic residencies, co-design activities, training, and technical demonstrations.
The activities of the YouRban Festival, which has received the Patronage of the City of Milan, will follow two main paths, in line with the multidisciplinarity and eclecticism of the New Bauhaus.
Technical & Educational Activities
YouRban will engage citizens, schools, and companies in hands-on exploration of demanufacturing and reprocessing technologies through:
- Practical demonstrations of the composite material regeneration plant;
- Co-design workshops where participants (general public, local SMEs, school groups, etc.), guided by expert facilitators, will identify challenges and opportunities related to the conscious reuse of reinforced plastic waste;
- Communication and dissemination of industrial best practices in the circular economy;
- Presentations of the sustainable products selected in the first YouRban open call: inviting designers to envision the regeneration of composite materials as a tool to address urban challenges (mobility, use of public spaces, recovery of abandoned areas, climate change mitigation).
Artistic & Performative Activities
In collaboration with ZONA K, Milan’s contemporary performing arts center and a key hub for independent arts and experimentation with public space and new technologies, YouRban will offer a fully free festival.
The program includes concerts, site-specific performances, participatory theatre, and more. The selection curated by ZONA K combines theatre, media, and digital languages to engage the public with YouRban themes in a playful, participatory, and impactful way, aimed at raising environmental and civic awareness among all attendees.
PROGRAM
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