Cittalia - European Research Center for Cities and Municipalities (ANCI Research Foundation)

Cittalia – European Research Center for Cities and Municipalities – ANCI Research Foundation (Centro Europeo di Studi e Ricerche per i Comuni e le Città – Fondazione di Ricerche dell’ANCI) is the research foundation of ANCI, the National Association of Italian Municipalities joined by more than 7.300 out of the 8.100 Italian Municipalities and with an associated population of about 52 millions (91% of whole Italy’s population). Established in 2007, it carries out research and studies on urban issues and its role is to support ANCI, as well as the Italian cities, in the development of the knowledge and tools necessary to meet the ongoing economic and social challenges faced by local authorities. Its main purpose is to study and present the emerging issues of the Italian and European urban situation, using a flexible interdisciplinary approach and providing policy makers, the scientific community and the public at large with relevant tools and analysis on all relevant urban topics. Since 2011, Cittalia has enriched the scope of its mission and objectives integrating in its structure the "Central Service" (Servizio Centrale, http://www.serviziocentrale.it/), an office set up at the initiative of the Ministry of Interior under Italian law n.189 of 2002 with the task of coordinating the System for the Protection of Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SPRAR) in Italy providing information and knowledge, consultancy, technical assistance and training to local authorities and operators of the SPRAR network, as well as for monitoring the presence of refugees and asylum seekers in Italy.