In contemporary European cities, urban transformations in terms of conservation, development and adaptive reuse follow new models whose adoption, acceptance and impact are closely dependent on different elements, including the need to attract new investment, the stimulation of the tourism economy, the capital allocation: these factors if not properly controlled and managed can compromise cities\u2019 future sustainable growth. The research group of the Department of Architecture of Bologna, working with the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, is focusing its lines of research and experimentation on the historical city, working together under the umbrella of H2020 ROCK project, on the introduction of factors of innovation (technological, environmental, social and economic) in the processes of urban transformation can pursue challenges of systemic and integrated value and become engines of growth and sustainable development at urban scale. The paper illustrates the ROCK circular urban system approach and its replication potential in different territorial contexts, such as Bologna and Bogot\ue0, in connection with BOND project