Vernacular architecture offers valuable technological and typological solutions rooted in knowledge systems that connect environmental, social, economic, and cultural contexts. This paper introduces the Heritage for People Platform, a collaborative digital tool developed under the VerSus+ project (Creative Europe Program), aimed at organising and disseminating vernacular architectural knowledge with a focus on sustainable practices that are both culturally and environmentally conscious. The platform builds upon lessons learned from similar projects, offering key improvements such as the adoption of a Case-Based Reasoning methodology, which organises examples by geographic location, materials, and intervention types. A structured classification system based on sustainability principles and strategies enables cross-disciplinary research and comparison. The design process was highly participatory, incorporating user feedback at every stage to ensure the platform is accessible to a wide range of users, including designers, scholars, craftspeople, and the general public. A cross-device, user-centered approach further broadens its accessibility. The platform provides a public, web-based geospatial repository where users can create, update, and explore a dynamic collection of artefacts, design models, people, and institutions from across the globe. This tool marks a significant advance in promoting and preserving both physical and intangible heritage, with strong educational and practical applications for sustainable architecture. The paper details the theoretical framework and real-world potential of the platform as a critical resource for promoting sustainability in the built environment.

Different from other products, in which the user knows about their energy consumption and can make more sustainable options, in web applications, the user has no control or information regarding how it could be more sustainable. For instance, a specific user might not need the information in a given panel or might choose a lower update rate for a chart or table. To fill this gap, this work aims to propose a graphical user interface model to promote digital sustainability in web applications. The model, named LEAFS, was constructed based on a literature review on digital sustainability, technology acceptance models, and persuasive design theories. An interactive prototype of the model applied in a fictional web application from the finance sector was developed using Figma. In this paper, we present a technology acceptance study with potential users to validate the model, using a structured instrument based on UTAUT 2. The results revealed a good acceptance from the users regarding the possibility of configuring a web application to more sustainable options, and also pointed to some improvement points to be considered before its implementation. As a consequence, this work evaluates an original idea that considers user choices in the implementation of web applications’ sustainability, creating a new dimension to reduce energy consumption.

In recent years, the design of public spaces surrounding school buildings has gained growing attention in urban planning and child-friendly city agendas. This paper examines the role of tactical urbanism in creating more Liveable School Surroundings (LSS) and introduces the LSS framework as a new lens for interpreting school-adjacent spaces as threshold environments where safety, autonomy, sustainable mobility, social interaction, and play converge. Methodologically, it develops a 12-indicator evaluation grid structured around four dimensions and applies it to a systematic comparative analysis of 30 interventions implemented in Milano, Bologna, and Torino. The analysis provides new empirical evidence on the effectiveness of tactical urbanism in this domain. Findings show that tactical interventions can rapidly enhance perceived safety and social interaction, often outperforming permanent solutions in terms of spatial reconfiguration and activation, while revealing limitations in the domains of play, climatic comfort, and cycling integration. The comparative analysis also reveals the modest scale of Italian initiatives compared to international programs, underscoring the need for stronger governance and long-term planning tools. By positioning tactical urbanism as an experimental device and a strategic lever for school-centered public space regeneration, the study offers an original contribution to international debates on child-friendly planning and proximity-based urban policies.