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6th Capacity Building webinar: Sustainability, inclusion and social innovation for the development of living environments

Our 6th online webinar “Sustainability, inclusion and social innovation for the development of living environments” within Horizon Europe SIRENE project (Social Innovation Responsive Environments NETwork) is an occasion to reflect together around the topic of inclusive and sustainable living environments.

Building on two key elements that have emerged from the activities of the SIRENE project, namely the need to adopt sustainable approaches to building inclusive living environments and the importance of building resilient and robust communities, the webinar is focusing on sharing some of the projects and initiatives implemented locally in Treviso, Italy.

The event was moderated by Dr. Oscar Zanutto, Head of the Innovation and Development Department in ISRAA. The topic is tackled within the interventions by Francesca Masiero, Project Manager at ISRAA; by Dr. Eva Gatto, President of the Board of Engineers in the Province of Treviso; and by Dr. Laura Lionetti, Coordinator of Casa Albergo Salce and Borgo Mazzini Smart Cohousing in ISRAA.

The three speeches highlighted the strong connection and continuity between the built living environment and social integration; key ingredients to ensure the well-being of the individual and of their communities. The importance of taking advantage of already existing resources through refurbishment and re-use of buildings and making the most of virtuous social dynamics also appeared transversal.  
At the end of the session dedicated to the presentations, participants were asked to give their opinion on the challenges, strengths and enablers for developing inclusive environments. Mapping and listening to community and key stakeholders, communication, and sharing emerged as priorities. The main obstacles, on the other hand, were associated with the lack of an inclusive culture, and bureaucracies that severely slow down, often undermining, innovation initiatives. According to the participants, dialogue and involvement of key social actors, capitalising on what already exists, funding opportunities and collaboration between different professions are crucial elements to sustain innovation in the attempt to plan inclusive living environments.  
Participants’ contribution also highlighted the existence of a strong alignment between pitfalls, necessities, strengths and expectations towards innovation in SHAFE at the local/national level and those at the international level emerged from the 2-year dialogue undertaken with the members of the SIRENE Expert Hub.

The event took place in Italian language on July 31, 2024, 2.00pm – 3.00pm.

 

Full transcript in English language available here.

14.00 – 14.05

Welcome and introduction

Dr. Oscar Zanutto, Head of Innovation and Development Department, ISRAA

14.05 – 14.15

“Inclusive and sustainable living environments: results from the SIRENE project”

Francesca Masiero, Project Manager, ISRAA

14.15 – 14.30

“The importance of re-using existing buildings through the lens of inclusion and sustainability: the case of Borgo Mazzini”

Dr. Eva Gatto, Engineer and President of the Board of Engineers of the Province of Treviso”

14.30 – 14.45

“Community-building pathways for older people”

Dr. Laura Lionetti, Coordinator of Casa Albergo Salce e Borgo Mazzini Smart Cohousing, ISRAA

14.45 – 14.55

Q&A and conclusions

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SIRENE | Social Innovation Responsive Environments Network is a Coordination and Support Action, co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe Programme (topic HORIZON-EIE-2022-CONNECT-01-02) through the Grant Agreement n. 101096077.

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