News

15.11.2018.

Designing greener cities – GrowGreen at the URBACT City Festival

In September, GrowGreen partners Manchester Climate Change Agency and IUCN hosted a workshop on designing and implementing nature-based solutions at the URBACT City Festival in Lisbon.  Through examples from Bologna (IT), Manchester (UK) and Stavanger (NO),  participants explored the contributions nature-based solutions can People climbing hill in winter in Stavanger, Norwaymake to creating healthy, liveable, climate resilient and sustainable cities.

These cities understand that nature-based solutions adapted to their unique local context are highly valuable in fighting climate change impacts and improving quality of life for their citizens.

Many cities are already active in improving their green footprint and creating a more sustainable attitude for future development by cutting emissions, using renewable energy and reducing pollution. However, we need to think further. Now, more than ever, there is a need to reconnect with and integrate nature in the urban fabric. Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that aim to support addressing society’s challenges in sustainable ways. They are a new and largely untapped opportunity for cities to obtain not only ecological but also social, economic and health benefits. By delivering multiple co-benefits through enhanced ecosystem services, such as air and water quality and biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, jobs and economic opportunities, nature-based solutions are crucial to increase the quality of life in urban areas.

Read more about the session here.