Rimini uses a network of sensors to gauge what life is like in the city

From pilot scheme to permanent model, through an understanding of the indicators. Three years ago, the city of Rimini launched the European ‘Life Help’ project and, at the Ecomondo event, presented its initial findings. These are not yet final, as the programme is due to end in late 2026. But what does the project involve? The city has developed the Wa²nna Best index: 18 indicators summarised in a six-segment ‘compass’ (air, water, waste, noise, nature and biodiversity, climate and energy), fed by sensors along the Parco del Mare and a public dashboard. It was not just sensors and data that made the system work, but people: the project involved the entire local authority, from senior managers and councillors to staff across various departments, alongside local organisations and service providers, as well as residents, students and tourists, who were invited to have their say. The various data points are fed into the index via a smart monitoring infrastructure – the SensorNet network – and can be viewed on a public online dashboard. This enables citizens – through an understanding of the data – to improve their own sustainability practices. And indeed, this is exactly what has happened.

As regards air quality, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels fell between 2021 (taken as the reference year prior to the start of the project) and 2025, from 27 to 22.5 micrograms per cubic metre, whilst the energy efficiency of municipal buildings reduces carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by around 20 per cent compared with the 6,465 tonnes recorded in 2021. Resource management also improves: the recycling rate for municipal waste rises to 61 per cent (towards the target of 65 per cent by the end of the decade) and water losses fall to 23 per cent, well below the national average of 42 per cent of water supplied to the network.

In terms of quality of life, the proportion of residents exposed to night-time road noise exceeding 50 dB falls to 16.8 per cent, whilst urban green spaces increase by 9.12 per cent between 2020 and 2025, providing a natural barrier against heat islands. These interconnected elements enable the local council to measure, in real time, the impact of building sites, traffic and public works. In addition to the data, the Strategic Plan Foundation organised two consultation sessions: residents, students and tourists were involved in order to gather feedback. Furthermore, members of the public were able to complete a questionnaire on the communicative effectiveness of the Wa²nna Best index.

The integrated model can also be used by other local authorities in Italia. The Municipality of Spoleto has already carried out trials across the country. As for Rimini, the Life Help project is co-funded by the European Union’s Life programme: it involves the participation of ISPRA, the Rimini Strategic Plan Foundation, and the environmental engineering firm Vie en.ro.se. Ingegneria. The municipality has obtained UNI EN ISO 14001 certification. ‘We are now able,’ explains the local council, ‘to measure the effects of urban transformation in real time, and we are making this tool available to all Italian local authorities. However, with the conclusion of Life Help, the most difficult part begins: ensuring that the results remain viable once funding ends, personnel change and administrative priorities shift.”