Networks and cities' news

Biodivercity case study 14 - Creating urban wild life and green corridors for the benefit of nature and people

Urban areas might harbor high diversity of species. Urban landscapes can be, for instance, especially valuable for pollinators and shelter a relatively high pollinator diversity compared to monoculture-dominated agricultural landscapes due to the high variety, availability, and temporarily even distribution of floral resources. Conservation within urban areas can be essential for many species and, of course, beneficial for residents for multiple reasons through the ecosystem services green areas provide. 

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A Trip into the past and future!

The Veszprém ULG of the BiodiverCity project held its latest meeting at a very special venue  the Waterworks Museum and Exhibition Hall, created by the local utility company Bakonykarszt to celebrate 125 years of drinking water supply in the city. 

BiodiverCity Steps Forward: local action and peer learning take centre stage

Between January and March 2025, the BiodiverCity network may have appeared quiet on the transnational front, but beneath the surface, partner cities were buzzing with activity. Following the inspiring Mid Term Review in Guimarães (later crowned European Green Capital 2026) the network shifted its focus to local implementation and refinement of strategies for biodiversity-friendly urban development.

A Table for All: Veszprém’s Long Table Picnic and Biodiversity Festival 2025

On 22 June, the heart of Veszprém transformed into a celebration of nature, community, and conviviality as the city hosted its Long Table Picnic and Biodiversity Festival – a flagship event in Hungary’s European Capital of Culture legacy and a proud initiative of the URBACT-awarded “BiodiverCity” project.

BiodiverCity: Mar Menor, the first ecosystem in Europe with legal personhood and rights

Mar Menor, the „small sea”, is not small at all, and it is very different from the Mediterranean Sea, the “Mar Mayor” (the “greater sea”). Mar Menor is the biggest coastal saltwater lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula, located near Cartagena, and La Manga del Mar Menor, occupying most of the 22 km long sandbar separating the lagoon from the sea, is one of the biggest tourist complexes of the so-called Costa Cálida. But Mar Menor has gained worldwide attention recently as the first place in Europe where a complex ecosystem has received legal personhood based on civic activism, following examples in New Zealand, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Can it be the new standard of nature protection? Read the full Case Study of the BiodiverCity URBACT network, prepared based on its network meeting in Cieza, Spain, on 25-27 March 2025

BiodiverCity Project Represented at Key URBACT Event in Paris

The BiodiverCity project was proudly represented by its Lead Partner and Lead Expert at a dynamic three-day URBACT gathering in Paris, which concludes today. The event brought together Action Planning Networks and National URBACT Points for insightful exchanges, peer reviews, and collaborative reflections on Integrated Action Plans.

Throughout the event, participants explored best practices in storytelling, integrated urban development, and participatory planning methods. The BiodiverCity team actively contributed to and benefited from discussions aimed at enhancing the quality and impact of local action planning across Europe. The experience adds valuable momentum as the project continues its mission to foster greener and more inclusive urban spaces.