Boost for Small Municipalities: All applications

EX FORO BOARIO – Mercato Culturale Urbano is an urban regeneration and social innovation programme promoted by the Municipality of Osimo, in collaboration with the Marche Polytechnic University (SIMAU Department, Urban Planning Unit). The initiative aims to transform the former Foro Boario area, located next to the historic centre and currently underused, into a high-quality, inclusive and symbolic public space, fostering innovative forms of governance and participatory design.

“Acquasparta Sotterranea” transforms Palazzo Cesi, its hidden hypogeum and mysterious tower into a complete above and underground journey where Renaissance history and science, Masonic legends and speleological wonders meet again after centuries of oblivion. Driven by the citizens’ “Tavolo del Turismo”, the project fights rural shrinkage by turning hit-and-run visits into sustainable multi-day tourism, proving how small rural towns can lead tech, inclusive and aesthetic-driven regeneration.

In the heart of the Peneda Gerês National Park, Soajo Rural initiative represents the reconversion of a deactivated parish center into a Rural Hub, a living laboratory for sustainable rural development. Through co-created programming, community governance, and architectural rehabilitation, the project revitalizes territory, strengthens local economies, and preserves intangible heritage while creating new opportunities for both residents and visitors alike.

Transforming to become climate-ready with 2 twin actions of adaptation & mitigation: 1. Outside public space renewal: after flooding, a car-dominated village place is reimagined as a green, lively hub with planting, a timber sun & rain protected agora hall, connected with a pedestrian bridge on the former historic washhouse site. 2. Inside private home retrofit: the municipality supports a citizen-led collective purchase of heat pumps to help residents move away from fossil fuels.

dern amenities. It fosters community, sustainability, and cultural preservation through activities and heritage restoration. Aimed at creative professionals, it seeks to attract new residents, boost the local economy, and strengthen the social fabric.

“Stat rosa pristina nomine.” In Montecerignone, where Umberto Eco wrote The Name of the Rose, beauty risks remaining only a name. If only the name of beauty remains, our task is to bring it back to life through shared spaces and collective care—reimagining public spaces as living commons of culture, creativity and civic engagement.

“Imprints of Collective Memory” connects Litovel’s industrial heritage on the city’s edge with its vibrant center through an interactive learning trail. Linking the EHL site of Free Speech Space EHL network, with local museum, and other key sites, it invites visitors to explore stories of place, identity, and democracy. The trail also offers visitors a playful cipher game—reviving public spaces as living hubs for sustainable cultural engagement.