In the first week of February 2024, the kick-off meeting of the EU co-funded project URBREATH took place in the city of Leuven (Belgium), where 37 partnering organizations came together to try and solve technical, policy and participatory democracy related bottlenecks in European cities, facilitating “Systemic Integration of Transformative Technical and Nature-based Solutions to Improve Climate Neutrality of European Cities and Regions and tackle Climate Change”!
Dr. Francesco Mureddu, project’s coordinator saluted the diverse team of RTOs and Universities, Public Agencies, small & medium companies, large enterprises and non-profits coming from 12 countries to this “four-year effort conducted by an experienced and high-level consortium in developing and implementing hybrid and natural base solutions piloted in digitally advanced European cities, fostering social innovation and urban revitalization . “
The project’s consortium members were delighted to welcome Katerina Deliali, PhD, URBREATH project officer at the CINEA – European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, who keynoted the meeting and provided the CINEA – European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency strategic priorities for the forthcoming working period.
During the 2-day kick off meeting, main issues that the team focused on included the objectives, the activities and the expected outcomes of various domains, such as
- the URBREATH systemic approach for co-creating urban greening and renaturing solutions;
- the project’s data strategy and decision-making framework ;
- the scaling up and replicability approach;
- overall urban greening and renaturing actions;
Moreover, all demo cities of the URBREATH project presented their pilot solutions, including Tallinn (Estonia), Leuven (Belgium), Madrid (Spain) and Cluj-Napoca (Romania). Based on the activities piloted in cities, the project framework will develop systematic co-creation-based nature-based solutions implementation assistance tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The URBREATH promise
URBREATH is about reimagining urban living, where concrete jungles give way to lush green havens. By weaving nature into the fabric of our cities, from expansive green roofs to vibrant urban forests and thriving wetlands, we aim to combat the urban heat island effect, mitigate flood risks, and purify our air. But URBREATH goes beyond just planting trees and creating green spaces. It’s a synergistic blend of nature’s wisdom and cutting-edge technology.
Through the engagement of local communities, the utilisation of Local Digital Twins, and the application of AI technologies, URBREATH is setting the stage for a new era of urban planning. A collaborative effort involving leading researchers, urban planners, policymakers, and tech innovators, this project seeks to harness the full potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) across diverse climate zones, each facing unique climate challenges. By doing so, URBREATH not only aims to make our cities more livable and inclusive but also sets a blueprint for how urban areas can be at the heart of combating climate change, turning our greatest vulnerability into our strongest defense.