Networks and cities' news

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.

Bees Between the Tower Blocks Urban Beekeeping Blossoms in Veszprém

In an innovative step towards boosting urban biodiversity, Veszprém has joined the growing movement of urban beekeeping – bringing buzzing life to the city's rooftops and green pockets. As part of the international BiodiverCity project, two bee colonies, thanks to the collaboration with Bakonynektár beekeepers.

But this isn’t just about honey.

The initiative is a living experiment, asking a vital question: Can pollinators thrive in our urban environments? With over 33 m² of green space per capita – a national benchmark – and accessible parks within 500 metres of every residential area, Veszprém is already setting the stage for sustainable urban ecosystems. Flowering meadows, trees, green roofs, and semi-natural habitats provide crucial support to birds, insects, and now, bees.

Dunaújváros organised the biodiversity festival

On Sunday, Dunaújváros celebrated nature with a vibrant Biodiversity Festival, organised as part of the URBACT BiodiverCity project. Held on the picturesque Szalki Island, the event placed a special focus on younger generations and aimed to bring the natural environment closer to the community through engaging and educational experiences.

More info in hungarian: https://dunaujvaros.com/hirek/202505/oko_napot_is_rendeznek_a_szalki_szigeten

Buzzing with sustainability: green day brings to Veszprém's schoolchildren

This year on 16 May, as a side event of Planet Lens, the "Green Day - Sustainability all the time" event took place in Veszprém, aiming to bring sustainability issues closer to the schoolchildren of Veszprém in an interactive and playful way. The URBACT BiodiverCity project was also represented at the event, where the city's apiary was presented by Erika Csiza and Péter Simon. The children were fascinated by the bees visibly working in the beehive and enjoyed tasting the sweet treats. The next time the people of Veszprém can meet bees, their keepers and the fruits of their labour will be on 22 June at the Biodiversity Festival.  

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