The theme of the circular city is currently much debated in the literature as a possible strategy for achieving sustainability in urban areas. However, as a recent development it still has many features in the making, one of the most important being the issue concerning monitoring and the tool through which to achieve it. In the paper, therefore, the “indicator” tool is explored in depth. Metrics represent a fundamental and complex aspect that is foundational to measuring and quantifying the progress of results achieved with respect to the goals set. Currently, most existing indicators are associated with specific aspects of the circular economy; there have been few examples of indicators designed to assess the circularity of an entire city. The paper aims to identify priority themes and describe a set of indicators to be used at the urban level. In the absence of an established reference frame, themes and indicators were identified through a methodology starting with an extensive literature search and careful analysis, including statistical analysis, of the scientific literature as well as international and European strategies on the subject. A particular result of this research is the definition ofa minimum set of indicators common to all cities, which can be applied for comparative purposes.

The topic of the circular economy and its potential applications to urban areas is currently widely discussed as it is seen as a possible solution to the state of environmental, economic, and social unsustainability resulting from the previous consumption model. However, although many contributions focus on one or more key sectors affecting the urban environment (Mobility, Waste, Built Environment, Water, Energy, and Food), few attempts address the topic comprehensively, promoting a broad vision that encompasses all sectors and evaluates their interrelation. This paper aims to meet this need by first providing an overview of the topic of circular cities, best practices, and circular actions, and subsequently defining a synergistic methodological framework of intersectoral circular actions that considers the interrelation of the various key sectors and that can be used as a tool to contribute to the overall closure of the urban cycle of a city. The city of Genoa is proposed as a case study for a first application. This research should be incorporated into a possible Urban Circular Action Plan aimed at implementing current international strategies.

This paper presents a best practice developed within the PRINCE project “Rewards and Incentives for Modal Shift” (“PRemialità e INCEntivi per il cambiamento modale”), funded by the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea Protection of Italy (2018–2024), in which the University of Genoa is a partner. The initiative is proposed as a replicable model for participatory governance of sustainable mobility in academic contexts. Specifically, it focuses on the role that technology and incentive mechanisms played in achieving the project’s goal: changing university students’ mobility habits toward more sustainable forms of transport. Given the significant impact of university mobility on overall urban mobility, the UniGe community was chosen as a test group for experimenting with new technologies and scalable best practices at the urban level. The PRINCE project stands out for its integration of technological innovation (via a dedicated mobile App), participatory processes, and multi-stakeholder collaboration (Quintuple Helix), demonstrating how these elements can jointly contribute to effective urban policy. The research, which recently concluded, stands out as a good participatory practice—involving various local stakeholders in Genoa—and is supported by innovative technological tools that contribute to the governance of sustainable university mobility.

Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century; Historic Centers are highly vulnerable to its effects, and, in a scenario of worsening climate regimes, it is crucial to explore innovative methods and tools to promote adaptation to climate change specific to these multi-risk contexts. However, research in this field is still underdeveloped, especially when it comes to the active involvement of territorial stakeholders in identifying and managing multiple climate-related risks-prone areas. This paper proposes a participatory methodology developed within the EU-funded HERIT ADAPT project aims at analyzing the criticalities affecting Historic Centers and co-designing interventions for the multi-risk adaptation of them to climate change. The application of the methodology to the case study of the Historic Centre of Genoa is presented and first results are reported. The goal is to test and generalize the approach to make it as objective and replicable as possible, by identifying processes and technological tools, as well as categories of data that can be easily found in official databases related to historical urban contexts.