Defining procedural processes to support the involvement and empowerment of citizens, the main target of climate change, in order to integrate them into the holistic process of adaptation to extreme events is nowadays an extremely topical issue. Research is working towards the progressive standardisation of this process. The paper focuses on the outcomes of research on integrating the participatory approach into a methodology for climate proofing of the urban environment. The research results are include directions for increasing resilience through a cyclic step-by-step process for planning, prevention and management of the effects of disasters, centred on the involvement of different stakeholders, as well as the outcomes of the experimentation of such a process on three public housing (ERP) neighbourhoods in Rome.

Technological upgrading in recent decades has allowed, at the urban level, the definition of new tools to address issues related to climate change. The research focuses on methodologies and technologies that are useful for the definition of new morphometric classifications (RLCZ, Rome Local Climate Zone) and the consequent construction of specific parametric models for the fabric of the historic city, starting from the case study on the city of Rome. This is to support an informed design-making process that is compatible with the peculiarities of complex fabrics. The proposed methodology and tools, which can be tested on similar scenarios or recalibrated for different realities, can provide an additional piece of knowledge, integrated with ongoing international experiments.

The Italian building stock faces significant challenges in energy inefficiency, with 70% of buildings nearing the end of their life cycle. Urgent interventions are required for refurbishment and technological retrofitting to enhance performance. Regulations such as the EPBD IV aim to transform existing buildings into NZEBs by 2050. This research explores innovative systems and technologies inspired by the “Energiesprong” model to enable deep retrofit interventions. The pilot project in the “Le Terrazze” district of Castelnuovo di Porto demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed solutions, achieving substantial energy and environmental improvements while significantly reducing on-site construction activities and drastically shortening implementation timelines.