In this episode, co-branded and recorded live at Urban Future 2025 in Łódź, Marco Buemi, Senior Expert and Project Manager at Verona Municipality, Italy, shares his journey from human rights advocacy in Sweden to driving inclusive urban regeneration in Italy. The conversation explores how lived experience shapes inclusive leadership, highlighting the importance of empathy, visibility, and grassroots engagement in public service. Marco discusses the challenges of youth disengagement, the urgency of sustainable urban transformation, and the role of education, health, and tactical urbanism in building truly smart, equitable communities.

Episode Overview:

• [00:01:17] Teaser Question: “If Verona were an animal, which animal would it be and why?”

• [00:02:59] Our guest’s background

• [00:05:38] Introduction to the REGEN project

• [00:09:58] Current status and impact of the project

• [00:12:59] Engaging young people in urban regeneration

• [00:17:13] Strategies for transforming abandoned urban spaces

• [00:19:58] Financing and public-private partnerships

• [00:23:13] Avoiding gentrification through community-centred planning

• [00:24:37] Knowledge transfer to other cities

• [00:27:48] Tools needed to accelerate urban change in Verona

• [00:30:34] Podcast Segment: Top or Flop

• [00:34:06] Ending Question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

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