The Italian Network

The Italian Network was formally established in 1996, the year in which the International Laboratory "Children's city" of ISTC-CNR was established, which takes care of its support and coordination. Currently, around 60 cities of different sizes and territorial characteristics are part of the Italian Network.

The Italian cities that joined the project during these years have carried out the activities with the basic idea of changing the city WITH the children, but many of these have ceased these activities due to the change of administration.

In some regions, collaborations and exchanges of experiences have been activated, while maintaining the relationship with the Rome Laboratory. In Lombardy, ANCI Lombardy promoted meetings and materials for the promotion of the Project, which produced new participation.

Among the Italian cities, significant and lasting experiences can be distinguished, such as San Giorgio a Cremano, in the province of Naples, and Malnate, in the province of Varese, marked by a strong commitment of the municipal administration and by a solid project laboratory.

Apart from the experience of the regional network "Lazio, the Region of Children" - active since 2014 and coordinated by the Regional Laboratory of the Lazio Region - there are currently no other consolidated regional networks.

Finally, it should be noted that the Marche Region has financed with the regional Law No.14/2017 the project "Sustainable and friendly cities for children and adolescents", to encourage participation and active citizenship, in implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To strengthen coordination at the national level and link it to the other networks of the project (Lazio, Italy, Spain and Latin America), the International Laboratory promotes meetings and training seminars aimed at the referents of the recently admitted cities (administrators, coordinators and project representatives). It also produces project study materials, such as the three Manuals (recently reprinted by the publisher ZeroSeiUp), one for each of the project's activities and activates research on children's participation and autonomy.