Prato Circular City is a Smart Living Lab that encourages sharing and participation within the topics addressed to identify concrete actions capable of generating a significant impact on the transition of the city and its production districts towards a more circular economy.

Methodology

The operation of the Living Lab is based on one used by the City of Prato at the European level during the Partnership on Circular Economy. The methodology will be adapted to the needs of a city and to the specific objectives to be achieved with this type of path. In particular:

1. Identification of vertical and transversal themes. Identification of stakeholders and willingness to participate in roundtable meetings (ANALYSIS)
2. Creation of thematic working groups with the participation of the various stakeholders (LISTENING).
3. Each table focuses on priority themes, chosen and validated by the participants (INSPIRATION).
4. Each working group, with the support of the project coordinators, works on feasible actions that could affect the transition to the circular economy by overcoming legislative, resource or knowledge barriers (ACTIVATION).
5. The working group prepares a draft action proposal (ACTIVATION).
6. Presentation of action proposals to other subjects outside the working group and collection of feedback (SHARING).
7. Integration and finalization of action proposals. All the actions developed by the round tables are collected in an operational plan indicating the methods and times of implementation (IMPLEMENTATION).

Alongside the Living Lab, a mapping of extant Circular Economy initiatives and activities already operating in the city will be carried out in order to promote and implement structured recovery, recycling and reuse activities.

The technical-scientific coordination of Prato Circular City is carried out by the ARCO laboratory of PIN - Prato University Center.