With rapid urbanisation and an estimated 70% of the world’s population living in cities by 2050, urban soils play a crucial role in providing essential ecosystem services such as regulating carbon and water cycles, mitigating floods and heat islands, supporting biodiversity, and improving citizens’ well-being.
However, urban soils are increasingly affected by sealing, contamination, and compaction, reducing their ecological capacity.
The URSOILL project, funded by Horizon Europe under the EU Mission Soil, aims to restore urban soils through the creation of five Living Labs across Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Luxembourg. The Living Labs will bring together public authorities, research institutions, universities, businesses, and citizens to co-create and test nature-based, technological, and socio-economic solutions for sustainable soil management and regeneration.
The project will help make European cities more resilient, sustainable, and liveable, improving soil health and strengthening the link between research, policy, and practice.
Innovhub SSI coordinates the Italian Living Lab, involving the cities of Milan and Turin, where nature-based solutions will be tested for soil de-sealing, bioremediation, biodiversity enhancement, and urban farming.
Financed by: Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement 101219012)
Duration: 2025-2029
Partner
RISE- Research Institutes of Sweden (Coordinator)
ISOCARP Institute – Centre for Urban Excellence
CETENMA -Technology Centre for Energy and Environment
ZABALA-Zabala Innovation Consulting SA
Technical University of Munich
ATB- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bio-economy e.V.
GREENOVATE! EUROPE
ESCI – European Science Communication Institute (Affiliated)
ESKILARA-ESKILARA S KOOP TXIKIA
CLUBE- Cluster of Bioeconomy & Environment of Western Macedonia
CHLIAPAS SA (Affiliated)
INNOVHUB – Stazioni Sperimentali per l’Industria Srl
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Politecnico di Milano
Poliedra- Politecnico di Milano (Affiliated)
SLU- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet)
Ayuntamiento de Forua
Universidad del Pais Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
Centro de Estudios Ambientales
DIADYMA S.A-Anonymi etairia diacheirisis aporrimmaton Dytikis Makedonias
ENEEGYL KOZANIS
Municipality of Kozani
Municipality of Eordaia
Region of Western Macedonia
University of Western Macedonia
Municipality of Turin (Comune di Torino)
University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino) (Affiliated)
Municipality of Milan (Comune di Milano)
University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano)
Centre for Ecological Learning Luxembourg
GEOCONSEILS S.A.
Interalia SA (Affiliated)
GEWATEC S.A. (Affiliated)
Société de développement Agora S.àr.l. et Cie
Administration de l’environnement (Associated)
For more information: federico.agostini@mi.camcom.it
