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 took place from 26 September to 5 October 2025 in Milan. At the heart of the event was a mobile plant housed on a truck, stationed in the city and open to all visitors and professionals. The second pilot event will be held in Barcelona in spring 2026.
Key focus points of the event:
- Experts: knowledge-sharing sessions and training opportunities.
- Citizens: invited to share their needs and expectations.
- Designers & Artists: participate in artistic residencies, contributing creative solutions inspired by art and culture—going beyond mere functionality.
- Urban Factories: joining 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: Designing Together a Circular Future
Milan, 26 September – 5 October 2025
From 26 September to 5 October 2025, Milan hosted the first edition of the YouRban Festival, a ten-day event dedicated to the circular economy, creativity, and urban innovation. Held at Fabbrica del Vapore under the Patronage of the City of Milan and ADI Lombardia, the Festival represented the first pilot demonstration of the YouRban project, funded by the European Union.
The initiative brought together citizens, students, researchers, artists, and professionals to explore new ways of giving materials, ideas, and communities a second life. At the heart of the event was the YouRban Truck, the first mobile lab for the regeneration of reinforced plastic materials: a travelling demonstration of how technology and design can enable a more circular urban future.
Technical and Educational Activities
The Festival’s daytime programme focused on hands-on learning, co-creation, and knowledge sharing. Workshops, live demonstrations, and guided tours of the YouRban Mobile Plant offered visitors the opportunity to explore innovative technologies for demanufacturing and material reprocessing.
Schools, universities, and businesses joined interactive sessions on transforming composite waste into sustainable resources. The agenda included a YouRban Conference on circular ecosystems, held with the DeremCo project, and sessions on innovation, design, and sustainability. Educational activities focused on raising awareness and inspiring especially young people to support a circular, sustainable economy.
Art, Performance and Public Space
Complementing the technical programme, the artistic direction curated by ZONA K – Milan’s contemporary performing arts centre – transformed Fabbrica del Vapore into a space of creativity and experimentation. The evening events combined theatre, music, and multimedia performances to explore the relationship between humans, materials, and urban space.
Through art, the Festival invited citizens to reflect on sustainability not only as a technical challenge, but as a cultural and social transformation.
A Shared Vision for the Future
Over ten days, the Festival welcomed hundreds of visitors—schools, families, professionals, and urban enthusiasts. Children explored the YouRban Truck through hands-on workshops, while experts and companies exchanged ideas on material regeneration. Reflecting the spirit of the New European Bauhaus, the inclusive event bridged science, design, and community to reimagine future cities.
Following the success of the Milan edition, the YouRban project will continue in 2026 with a second pilot in Barcelona, co-creating active urban ecosystems that showcase how innovation, design, and participation can drive Europe’s circular transition.
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