Sustainable City 2025
17th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability
16-18 September 2025
Ancona, Italy
Overview
The 17th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability took place in Ancona, Italy, from 16th to 18th September 2025. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT), UK, represented by its Academic Director, Dr Stavros Syngellakis, and the Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, Italy, represented by Professor Giorgio Passerini.
The conference, which started in Rio, Brazil (2010), is well-established and always attracts a substantial number of contributions from different backgrounds and countries. The variety of topics and experiences is one of the main reasons behind the success of the series.
Opening of the Conference
The meeting was opened by Stavros who welcomed the delegates to the conference then gave a brief overview of the present WIT activities. He pointed out its origins in the pioneering work for the development of a new numerical technique, the boundary element method (BEM). This method was developed into a powerful analysis tool for the solution of critical industry problems. It is applied by itself or in combination with other analytical techniques to provide solutions against engineering failures such as, for instance, sea or atmospheric corrosion and fatigue fracture. Stavros pointed out the prominent role of Professor Carlos Brebbia, the founder and embodiment of the institute until his death in 2018, in the development of BEM as a powerful analytical tool. His passing away was a great loss to everyone working with him but also to the wider academic community.
The scope of the institute was subsequently broadened to provide knowledge transfer opportunities in other science and engineering areas as well on the ecology and the environment. Conferences remain WIT’s main instrument for knowledge transfer; they provide opportunities for social interaction, establishing contacts, direct exchange of views, information and advice plus some enjoyable moments during social events such as the dinner and other organised activities.
The Institute also continues to organise short courses in a wide variety of topics. It welcomes proposals from academics and engineers, experts in almost any field who wish to disseminate their knowledge. Another way in which WIT achieves dissemination of knowledge is by the publication of papers from conferences through its publishing arm, WIT Press.
The institute, in partnership with other academic institutions, awards annually two medals to prominent scientists in their fields. The Green medal jointly awarded with the University of Mississippi and supported by Elsevier, to a person having made significant contributions to the development of the boundary element method. The Prigogine medal was instituted in 2004 with the University of Siena to the memory of Ilya Prigogine, Nobel winner in Chemistry, pioneer in linking thermodynamics to ecological processes. Prigogine’s ideas formed the basis of ecological systems research. The Prigogine medal is awarded annually to a leading scientist in the field of ecological systems. All recipients have been deeply influenced by Prigogine’s work.
Invited Speakers
There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:
- “Are SECAPs and CCCs complementary or competitive? A focus on the methodological approach of these two planning tools”, by Dr Monica Salvia, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), ITALY
- “Measuring the level of preparedness of Italian cities for extreme weather events through adaptation planning efforts”, by Dr Filomena Pietrapertosa, National Research Council of Italy, ITALY
- “Sustainable exhibition design, inspired by LEGO®: reducing waste in museum installations”, by Professor Jorge Ribeiro, University of Lisbon, PORTUGAL
- “Environmental mitigation through proactive maintenance and rehabilitation of existing building envelopes”, by Professor Cristina Olga Gociman, University of Architecture and Urban Planning, ROMANIA
- “Adapting the concept of a city with streets above ground to different geographical and climatic conditions”, by Dr Dmytro Legeyda, Newcastle University, UNITED KINGDOM
- “Propensity and proclivity of vulnerable road users towards personalised road safety solutions”, by Dr Colin Booth, University of the West of England, UNITED KINGDOM
- “Augmented reality, social constructs and sustainability of cultural heritage sites”, by Dr Alejandro Acosta Collazo, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, MEXICO
- “Flora in the writings of Camoes - Portuguese food in the 16th century and nowadays”, by Professor Isabel Madaleno, University of Lisbon, PORTUGAL
A special session on “Cities and climate action: mitigation and adaptation” was organized by Dr Filomena Pietrapertosa and Dr Monica Salvia and contained 4 presentations on this topic.
Conference Sessions
The papers presented during the conference were classified according to the following themes:
- Urban strategies that can be adopted to improve the performance of human activities
- Urban metabolism towards a sustainable future
- Sustainable urban mobility as an essential contributor to a city’s social and economic life
- Sustainable urbanism promoted through green infrastructures
- Various strategies of environmental management
- Planning for risk, climate change and natural hazards
- Issues related to waste management
- Urban access to water resources
- Studies on the coastal city and its environments
- Health issues
There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.
Conference Publication
Accepted papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 264 of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN: 1743-3541). Papers included in this volume will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.
Prigogine Award Ceremony
The 2025 Prigogine Medal was presented to Professor Ichiro Aoki of Shizuoka University, Japan by Professor Nadia Marchettini from the University of Siena during a joint session of the “Energy and Sustainability” and “Sustainable City” conferences. Professor Marchettini referred extensively to Professor Aoki’s work pointing out his exceptional achievements. Following the award presentation, Professor Aoki delivered a special lecture entitled "Ecological Thoughts Based on Thermodynamics". The ceremony took place on 16th September 2025 at 11:30 am at the Faculty of Economics, Università Politecnica delle Marche.
ISAC Dinner
The meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) was held over dinner at Matas 54 in Ancona, a restaurant celebrated for its traditional and gourmet pizzas, distinguished by the quality of local ingredients and a strong connection to the region. The venue, set within a historic location, provided an inviting atmosphere where food and wine came together to create an authentic experience.
During the dinner, committee members were invited to advise WIT on the future development of the conference, sharing suggestions for new topics, ISAC membership, and potential venues.
Conference Dinner
The Conference dinner was held at Restaurant Il Giardino, where participants enjoyed exquisite seafood cuisine served across more than five courses. The restaurant provided a beautiful and welcoming setting, offering the perfect space for participants to socialize and discuss the conference topics.
Closing of the Conference
The conference was closed by Dr Stavros Syngellakis, who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is planned to be reconvened in 2027.
Wessex Institute