In a few sentences, how would you describe your IAP? What is its main focus or goal?
Cieza’s Integrated Action Plan is conceived as a unifying document that brings together all the strategies and studies the municipality has developed in recent years on urban environment and biodiversity, while also incorporating good practices from other European cities. Its main goal is to provide a coherent roadmap to renaturalise Cieza by promoting nature-based solutions that enhance urban quality of life, strengthen biodiversity, and foster a more inclusive and coordinated model of urban governance.
What local challenges or needs does your IAP address?
The Integrated Action Plan addresses several key local challenges. First, it tackles institutional fragmentation by strengthening coordination across municipal departments involved in green, blue, and urban planning, and by promoting a shared vision for nature in the city. Second, it responds to weak ecological and functional connectivity, acknowledging the limited integration between natural and urban areas, the lack of effective green corridors, and the need to improve blue infrastructure and water management. Third, it addresses outdated management practices and the low presence of diverse, well-functioning urban nature, including the prevalence of poorly adapted “placebo trees” that provide limited environmental or social benefits. Finally, the plan seeks to counter a limited social perception of the value of trees, where traditional practices such as heavy pruning are still widely accepted, and where biodiversity is often seen more as a nuisance than as a key contributor to urban well-being.
What are the most innovative or inspiring elements of your plan?
One of the most innovative elements of the plan is its commitment to deepening the paradigm shift in urban tree management and modern arboriculture techniques. Although the municipality has been working in this direction for several years, the plan takes this evolution a step further by integrating new technologies, strengthening the regulatory framework, improving operational practices, and fostering greater citizen involvement. Together, these elements position Cieza at the forefront of contemporary approaches to urban green infrastructure management.
What are the most valuable lessons your city learned during the BiodiverCity project?
Transnational meetings and informal dialogue spaces such as the BiodiverCity Cafés provided concrete ideas that Cieza has already begun to explore and incorporate into its local strategy. ’s-Hertogenbosch offered innovative approaches to managing blue infrastructure in urban contexts. From Dunaújváros and Veszprém, Cieza learned about the integration of green and blue infrastructure, ecological management of urban meadows, and inspiring participatory initiatives such as Budapest100, which influenced the creation of Cieza’s first BiodiverCity Festival in 2025. Limerick contributed insights on integrated planning of green–blue spaces, small-scale biodiversity interventions like green roofs and vertical gardens, hybrid financing models including public-private collaboration, and the promotion of community use of natural urban areas. Guimarães demonstrated the value of biodiversity and sustainability indicators, innovative environmental education actions led by its Landscape Lab, awareness-raising campaigns using thermal imaging to show the cooling effect of trees, and the creation of green brigades as a participatory management tool. Finally, Siena provided inspiration on community gardens managed by students and residents, initiatives to reduce landscape fragmentation such as planting flower strips along woodland edges, and creative ways of linking art, community, and nature through forest libraries, outdoor theatres, and collective gardens. Together, these exchanges enriched Cieza’s vision and strengthened its commitment to building a more biodiverse, participatory and resilient urban environment.
Can you describe one good practice from your city that others could learn from?
One good practice from Cieza that other cities can learn from is its progressive approach to modern urban arboriculture. Through the adoption of advanced techniques—such as structural soil cells that enhance root development, a shift towards contemporary pruning practices, and the implementation of bioretention gardens—Cieza is successfully maximising ecosystem services while reducing long-term maintenance costs. Another inspiring example is the city’s “Rare Diseases Forest,” which demonstrates how urban greening can be combined with social awareness. This initiative not only contributes to biodiversity and climate resilience but also creates a meaningful public space that raises awareness and fosters community engagement around an important societal issue.
What was your favourite moment or memory from the BiodiverCity project?
One of Cieza’s favourite moments in the BiodiverCity project was hosting the partners during their visit to the city. A great deal of care went into designing a programme that would truly offer value to the network, and it was both inspiring and rewarding to see how much the partners appreciated the work being carried out in Cieza and how genuinely they learned from it.
If you could describe the project in three words, what would they be?
Inspiring, Educational and Enriching.
Any final thoughts or messages for the URBACT and BiodiverCity community?
We truly hope to take part in future URBACT projects and to build networks as strong and meaningful as the one created through BiodiverCity. The experience has far exceeded our expectations and has left us eager to continue working on urban biodiversity, inspired by the remarkable practices and commitment of our partner cities.
