This research stream aims to identify the challenges for the transition toward sustainable, attractive, and smart cities and territories, with particular attention to specific territorial types, such as internal regions, islands, large urban areas, the so-called “Middle Italy” (i.e., medium-sized cities and their polycentric urban systems), and contexts of dispersed urbanization or urbanized countryside.

The policies and strategies developed in the previous research stream will be adapted to specific territorial contexts, including through local case studies. Recent trends in life, work, mobility, and tourism (e.g., smart working, “15-minute city,” smart cities and smart mobility, digital tourism, etc.) will be analyzed to assess their impact in and for different territorial areas.

A Multidisciplinary Lab for Territorial Policies (MLTP) will be established, designed to foster collaboration among experts from various disciplines and local and national stakeholders, with the goal of developing integrated territorial policies. This multidisciplinary approach is often essential to address complex challenges involving both tangible and intangible factors within territories.