Nature-Based Solutions and participatory governance: the results of CONE
Heat islands, flash flooding, biodiversity loss: climate change is making itself felt in cities, directly affecting quality of life, health and the costs of managing public spaces. Nature-Based Solutions are among the most effective responses available today: urban trees, green roofs and façades, permeable surfaces and rainwater management systems are not decorative features, but essential urban infrastructure that can lower temperatures, reduce energy consumption and make spaces more liveable.
The challenge, however, is not only technical: it also concerns processes. Who decides where to intervene, how maintenance is funded over time, and how citizens are involved in decisions that directly affect them.
CONE is a project co-funded by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE programme and led by UniSMART. Over three years, it has worked in five Central European cities, including Padua, through urban living labs: innovation spaces where public authorities, businesses, researchers and citizens have co-designed interventions at real pilot sites, testing participatory processes and digital tools to support decision-making.
The final event brings this wealth of experience to those who can put it into practice.
Two roundtables will provide a forum for discussion among planners, public authorities and businesses. The first will focus on the project’s results: what worked, which solutions can be transferred, and what conditions are needed for a pilot intervention to become standard practice. The second, framed by the European Union’s Nature Restoration Regulation, will broaden the discussion to Italian experiences of urban innovation and regeneration, with a particular focus on nature-based solutions. Practical examples and future initiatives will inform the dialogue on results, obstacles and opportunities for application in other regions. The afternoon will feature a participatory workshop, where attendees will explore a concrete urban scenario and work towards jointly developed proposals.
