Networks and cities' news

How does a “sponge city” work?

In the early 2000ies, Western and Northern European cities faced heavy rainfalls causing huge damage in the dense urban fabric. Since then, new housing estates have been built in frontrunner cities without using grey infrastructure to collect rainwater, and water retention has been an integrated part of urban development. We explain the key lessons and challenges since droughts experienced in the last years almost everywhere in Europe make the theme more essential than ever.

“Extensive green rooftops (made up of a very thin - 8-15 cm - layer of substrate with shallow-root and resistance plants like sedum, herbs, mosses, and grasses) can absorb 70-80% of the rainwater, it protects the roof and boosts its insulation capacity - thus we created our Botanical Roof Garden, one of the biggest green rooftop complexes in Europe, on the rooftop of the communal utility company, to promote different techniques” - says Ms Helen Johansson, director of the Green Roof Institute during a study visit organised in the frame of the URBACT Summer University (2023). 

“Green placemaking” – Why communication and engagement is key in changing the way we think about urban green spaces

Many cities around the world are experimenting with engaging residents in green space
maintenance and at the same time, communicating about the benefits of nature, nudging locals to
a more pro-environmental behaviour. This is a core theme of the BiodiverCity network as well,
and the case of Dunaújváros, Hungary highlights the need for resilient, biodiversity-driven green
space management in the shadow of climate change.

“Vitamin N” for everyone – Transforming cities’ relationship with nature and the rise of nature-based solutions to tackle the ecological crisis

Bestseller author Richard Louv defined nature-deficit disorder in his book (Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature, 2016 – where “N” is for “nature”) and launched an international movement to get humans’ connection back to nature, especially in urban areas where this connection has been dramatically lost over the last centuries, as it was painfully, but perfectly showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BiodiverCity: Community-based approaches to foster urban biodiversity

In the bustling cities of our Network, a remarkable initiative called BiodiverCity is taking root. With a vision to harness the power of nature-based solutions, BiodiverCity aims to measure biodiversity and account for the related ecosystem services to design and scale up transformative projects. The partner cities of this URBACT project envision a future where vibrant urban ecosystems and community-driven actions harmoniously coexist.