The project titled “URBAN ROOTS: Collaborative Learning and Action for Food, Community, and Solidarity,” supported by the EU-funded EELISA European University and the Circular EELISA Community, and coordinated by Assoc. Prof. İmge Akçakaya Waite, held its field trip in Madrid on 22–25 April 2026. The field trip was attended by members of the ITU project team, including Assoc. Prof. İmge Akçakaya Waite, Prof. Dr. Şence Türk, Res. Asst. Serim Dinç, and İrem Nur Yener, as well as a total of 10 undergraduate and graduate students from ITU with the support of EELISA and ITU BAP LÖKAP-E.

Organized within the scope of the project, the “Madrid Learning Expedition” brought together students from different levels and disciplines from the EELISA network and other universities, offering them the opportunity to examine food initiatives and solidarity-based practices across the city on site. Participants explored a wide range of examples, including municipally supported community gardens, urban commons rooted in civic movements, innovative centers such as the Circular Economy Innovation Centre (CIEC), vertical farming initiatives, and cooperative food systems such as the La OSA cooperative supermarket in Madrid.

The program combined participatory methods such as site visits, knowledge exchange with experts, urban walks, and a design workshop. These experiences provided a comparative understanding of how food systems intersect with governance, community participation, technology, circularity, and climate resilience in urban contexts. The Madrid Learning Expedition constituted an important stage in the project’s learning process, enabling participants to translate theoretical knowledge into field-based observations and develop action-oriented responses.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), University Politehnica of Bucharest (UPB), Maltepe Municipality, Tasarım Rehberleri (TARGE), and the LA OSA Cooperative in Madrid.