Gianni Biagi, INU – URBIT
At the 2025 edition of Urbanpromo, the idea of a metropolitan housing plan for the city of Florence was first put forward during the opening conference. The proposal received the support of the main local and regional institutions, and preliminary work to define the Plan has since begun. The 2026 opening conference will therefore return to this initiative.
The conference will open with an introduction by Professor Saverio Mecca, the City of Florence’s Councillor for Housing Policy Planning, followed by presentations from Sara Funaro, Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Florence, and Giacomo Parenti, Director General of the Metropolitan City of Florence. Two roundtable discussions are also planned, featuring contributions from social partners and representatives of the relevant economic and social sectors.
The conference aims to illustrate the methodology and the work carried out so far to develop the Metropolitan Housing Plan in a particularly challenging area such as the Metropolitan City of Florence. It will also provide an opportunity for discussion—set to continue later that afternoon—on the need to establish synergies with the National Housing Plan recently launched by the government, as well as with the emerging policy guidelines shaping a new generation of housing policies at a European level.
PROGRAMME
9:00 – 9:30 Participant registration
9:30 Opening
Institutional greetings
Gianni Biagi, President of URBIT
Bernabò Bocca, President of Fondazione CR Firenze
Sara Funaro, Mayor of Florence
Introduction
Saverio Mecca, Councillor for Housing Policy Planning, Municipality of Scandicci
9:45 Part One
Speakers
“The Florence Metropolitan Housing Plan”
Sara Funaro, Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Florence
“The housing issue in Florence: analysis, proposals and technical guidelines”
Filippo Celata, Sapienza University of Rome
Chiara Agnoletti, IRPET
Giacomo Parenti, Director General, Metropolitan City of Florence
10:45 Part Two
First Roundtable Discussion
Discussant
Paolo Ceccarelli, Journalist
Speakers
Alessio Mantellasi, Mayor of Empoli
Sara di Maio, Mayor of Barberino di Mugello
Claudia Sereni, Mayor of Scandicci
Roberto Ciappi, Mayor of San Casciano
11:45 Part Three
Second Roundtable Discussion
Speakers
Maria Tesi, Manager, Florence Chamber of Commerce
Fabio Seggiani, General Secretary, SUNIA Florence
Bernardo Marasco, General Secretary, CGIL Florence
Lapo Baroncelli, President, Confindustria
Marco Gaito, UPPI – Union of Small Property Owners
Conclusion remarks
13:30 Closing of the proceedings
Italiano