NEWS

On 17–18 June 2026, partners from across the WeGenerate consortium gathered in Cesena, Italy, for a two-day site visit dedicated to sharing experiences, exploring local interventions, and advancing collaborative work on people-centred sustainable neighbourhoods.

Hosted by the City of Cesena, the visit brought together project partners, Demo Cities, Fellows Cities and stakeholders to explore how local actions can contribute to a fair, inclusive and sustainable energy transition.

 

The programme began with a welcome from Cesena’s local representatives and the project coordination team, followed by a study visit to the Vigne neighbourhood and Cesena Railway Station area.

Participants had the opportunity to see first-hand several interventions implemented within WeGenerate, including the Park&Ride service, the Mobility Hub - including the new Karl Marx square - cycling infrastructure, temporary greening measures, the renovation of the former Arcobaleno building, These initiatives demonstrate how integrated urban planning can improve mobility, environmental quality and quality of life for residents.

A digital deep-dive session then showcased some of the technological solutions supporting Cesena’s transformation. Presentations included the Cesena Radici Future web platform, the Digital Twin developed for the INA-Casa renovation project, and microclimatic simulations used to assess outdoor comfort and urban resilience.

 

A key highlight of the visit was the Engagement Marketplace. The session provided an opportunity for Demo Cities to present participatory approaches and co-design methods used to involve citizens in local decision-making processes.

Representatives from Cesena, Tampere, Cascais and Bucharest shared practical experiences, tools and lessons learned from engaging residents in neighbourhood transformation initiatives. Through an interactive voting exercise, participants identified the most promising practices with potential for replication in other cities.

The day concluded with a visit to the greening worksite in Parco Vigne, accompanied by an informal networking aperitif that encouraged further exchange among partners and local stakeholders.

 

The second day focused on storytelling and knowledge transfer.

Through a series of interactive workshops, Demo Cities and project partners worked together to develop narrative timelines that capture the people, events and turning points shaping each city's WeGenerate journey. The sessions supported the development of future storytelling outputs while fostering peer learning and reflection across the consortium.

Participants explored how local experiences can be translated into compelling narratives that communicate the challenges, achievements and impacts of neighbourhood transformation processes.

The visit concluded with a CityXChange Replication Dialogue facilitated by the University of Bologna. The session examined how the outcomes of the site visit can inform future actions in Cesena and beyond, identifying transferable lessons related to governance, financing, policy development and long-term energy transition strategies.

By combining site visits, technical demonstrations, participatory workshops and peer-learning activities, the Cesena visit reinforced the collaborative spirit of WeGenerate and strengthened the exchange of knowledge between cities working towards more sustainable, resilient and people-centred neighbourhoods.

As the project progresses, these shared experiences will continue to play a crucial role in supporting the replication and scaling of innovative solutions across Europe.