Networks and cities' news

III Circular Architecture Marathon: Onda towards a Green and Circular Lung

The Department of Circular Architecture of the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) has taken another step forward in its commitment to sustainability and circularity in the built environment by organising the third edition of the idea’s competition (III Circular Architecture Marathon). The main objective of this event is to promote reflection and dissemination among students and professionals on the implementation of the concepts of sustainability and circularity in construction and urban planning processes, contributing to the transformation of the sector towards a circular economy and supporting the decarbonisation of urban environments. In this edition, the initiative has been supported by the Onda City Council and had as a case study the project (Onda's Green Lung). 

Dancing the Walls of Limerick on the Old City Walls of Limerick!

The key aims for our city in the URBACT GreenPlace network is to test the level of interest local groups have in the Old City Walls of Limerick. Limerick City and County Council have been working on a series of measures/testing actions to enhance the Irishtown area, looking to create a connection locally. 

The projects focus is on the Irishtown area in Limerick City, looking to increase the green potential of the Old City Walls, to remove the perception that the area is unsafe and to augment the tourist potential of the Walls.

URBACT – Landesgartenschau Löbau 2012

When we decided to apply for the Greenplace project, we already knew what we wanted to share with the other project participants – our experience from the 2012 Saxon State Horticultural Exhibition (6. Sächsische Landesgartenschau Löbau 2012). For this exhibition, a 20-hectare industrial wasteland in Löbau was completely transformed. The site had previously housed several textile factories and various buildings of the Löbau sugar factory. Following the decline of these industries, the sugar factory—the last operating facility in this area near the city center—closed in 2002.

How can cities activate unused green spaces and buildings?

Picture yourself in that dark grey building or street, which does not smell nice, feels unsafe and makes you wonder only about one thing: I feel so bad, why did I come here? Now, picture yourself in that same building or street wondering only about one thing: OMG, it’s an amazing place, why didn’t I come here earlier?! 

So… what’s happened? What’s changed to this area that you have to twist your daily itinerary to come and enjoy this area? And what is there actually to do?

The 9 Project Partners of the GreenPlace network – Boulogne-sur-mer, Bucharest-Ilfov, Limerick, Löbau, Nitra, Onda, Quarto d’Altino, Vila Nova de Poiares, and Wroclaw- have experimented this journey, using the knowledge and methodology gathered over the first year and a half of the network. Their stories tell us more about actions to make abandoned buildings, forgotten tram depots, unused green areas, or unused yet to be renovated built areas – attractive and worth coming to. 

Accessible and Inclusive Public Spaces: Foundations for Thriving Communities

Public spaces are the core of urban community life, offering people a place to observe each other, connect, and share goals, needs, and stories. When designed with human diversity in mind, these spaces have the transformative potential to foster social cohesion, enhance quality of life, and support sustainable urban living. They serve as platforms for community interaction, cultural exchange, and recreation, contributing in the long term to healthier, more equitable cities. Public spaces should be accessible to all citizens and not create discrimination caused by the built environment. However, although accessibility and inclusion are recurring topics in numerous EU documents and reports, they are still too often treated as add-ons rather than integral components of urban planning. This leaves many spaces inaccessible or unfriendly to diverse user groups and leads to missed opportunities for building an equitable society.

To build on this, GreenPlace, one of Urbact’s networks that aims to develop a set of activities for "recycling" unused urban areas using social participation tools having a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, recently held a workshop titled “Equitable Cities—An Inclusive Approach” in Nitra, Slovakia. The participants examined how the built environment can contribute to social segregation and generate disabilities even where there are no permanent ones. They discussed the importance of shifting accessibility from being viewed as a "special case" ¹ to becoming a core priority in public space development. 

Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design

The 5th Core Network Meeting of partners within the Green Place network took place in Nitra on October 15-16, 2024. The meeting focused on the topics of Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design. It was also aimed at feedback on the addressed area of ​​abandoned brownfield of former military barracks and drawing on relevant experiences with partners on this topic. The meeting continued with some partners on October 17 as  a site visit, showcasing successful examples of good practices in green infrastructure, work with minority groups, improving the health of residents, and the reconstruction of historic buildings.