From 24 to 28 July 2017, the second phase of the PhD Summer School della Climate-KIC 2017 ‘Urban transitions: reshaping urban districts’, was held in Bologna after an initial week in Amsterdam. Fourteen doctoral students and several PhDs participated in the 2017 programme as fruit of the collaboration between Dutch partners and the University of Bologna, the City of Bologna, and Urban Center Bologna.

During the two weeks of the course, participants worked in groups guided by international experts to study two cases of urban transition addressed by the cities of Amsterdam and Bologna, for which the students had to also find the possible solutions:

• The project for Amsterdam regarded the energy efficiency of some public housing in the multiethnic neighbourhood of Overtoomse Veld with the involvement of residents in adopting virtuous behaviours.
• The project for Bologna regarded the reduction of energy consumption and emissions in the area of Sant’Orsola Hospital and improving the quality of services and the conditions of workers and users.

During the week in Bologna, the students followed an intense programme of lessons, meetings with stakeholders, visits in the field, and working groups, up to the final presentation and awards for the projects.