The Global Urban Challenge & Paradigm Shift
Cities worldwide are confronting a dual challenge: intensifying climate vulnerability and rapid demographic change. In this context, sustainability can no longer be measured by limiting harm alone. It calls for a shift toward regeneration: urban systems that restore ecological balance, harness advanced technologies and sustain value across generations.
Meeting this challenge requires closer collaboration between architectural practice and regenerative innovation. By combining resource efficiency, circular economy principles and adaptive design with ecological restoration and actionable urban policy, systemic risks can become opportunities for resilient city-making.
About ReGreen 2027
IEREK is proud to announce ReGreen: Renewal Vision and Design for Green Architecture and the Built Environment, in its 1st edition, hosted at the historic Sapienza University of Rome, from 21 to 22 September 2027.
This milestone event is uniting international researchers, architects, artists, and urban planners to advance the field of regenerative urban design. ReGreen is a premier international platform born from the strategic synthesis of IEREK's legacy forums on "Green Urbanism" and "Urban Regeneration and Sustainability." By merging these complementary disciplines, ReGreen serves as the definitive global confluence where macro-level urban strategy meets micro-level architectural innovation.
Conference Overview & Thematic Sessions
The energy and ecological transition, together with the growing adoption of circular economy principles, is reshaping the paradigms, strategies and tools for transforming the built environment. The progressive decarbonisation of production systems and human settlements, the reduction of natural resource consumption, and the need to address the impacts of climate change call for a fundamental rethinking of the processes involved in the design, construction, use, maintenance and end-of-life management of buildings. In this context, the circular economy moves beyond the linear model of production and consumption, promoting the preservation of the value embodied in the existing built environment, adaptive reuse, the recovery and valorisation of materials and components, the extension of building lifespans, and the integration of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and reduced environmental impacts. Regeneration is therefore conceived as an integrated process in which technological innovation, architectural quality, environmental performance and resource circularity contribute to the creation of more resilient and sustainable environments.
The conference aims to explore the contribution of scientific research and design culture to innovative strategies for the energy and ecological transition of the built environment, with particular emphasis on environmental design, regeneration, climate adaptation and the circular economy. Contributions from keynote speaker Fabrizio Tucci will introduce a discussion on the prospects for decarbonisation, energy and environmental efficiency, and design innovation, in response to ongoing transformations and emerging sustainability requirements.
The conference will be structured around three thematic sessions:
1. Built Environment Regeneration, Heritage and Adaptive Reuse – focusing on the regeneration of the built environment, the enhancement of architectural heritage and adaptive reuse strategies. The session will explore approaches to extending building lifespans, preserving the value of existing resources, and integrating functional transformation, technological innovation and environmental sustainability.
2. Climate Adaptation, Resilience and Sustainable Buildings – addressing strategies for climate change adaptation and for enhancing the resilience of buildings and human settlements, with particular attention to reducing vulnerability, improving energy and environmental performance, and implementing nature-based solutions and low-impact technologies.
3. Environmental Design, Green Architecture and Circular Economy – exploring the methods and tools of environmental design and sustainable architecture, with particular emphasis on resource efficiency, design for durability, disassembly and reuse, the circularity of materials and building components, and the integration of renewable energy sources to optimise the performance of the built environment throughout its life cycle.
Through contributions from scholars, researchers and practitioners, the conference aims to strengthen the integration between research, technological innovation and design practice. Its objective is to develop strategies that reconcile decarbonisation, climate adaptation, the circular economy and architectural quality, recognising the existing built environment not merely as a field for intervention, but as a strategic resource for reducing material and energy consumption, minimising waste generation, and creating long-term environmental, social and economic value.
Statement of Purpose
ReGreen aims to bridge historical preservation, technological advancement, and sustainable urban evolution. Our mission is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, methodologies, and best practices among scholars and practitioners, offering actionable insights that empower urban planners, artists, and policymakers to lead the transition toward carbon-neutral and socially equitable urban futures.
