Urban nature labs
UNaLab will develop, via co-creation with stakeholders and implementation of ‘living lab’ demonstration areas, a robust evidence base and European framework of innovative, replicable, and locally-attuned nature-based solutions to enhance the climate and water resilience of cities. UNaLab focuses on urban ecological water management, accompanied with greening measures and innovative and inclusive urban design. The UNaLab partners aim to develop smarter, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable local societies through nature based innovation jointly created with and for stakeholders and citizens. UNaLab’s 3 front runner cities: Tampere, Eindhoven and Genova, have a track record in smart and citizen driven solutions for sustainable development. They support 7 follower cities: Stavanger, Prague, Castellon, Cannes, Basaksehir, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires plus share experiences with observers as City of Guangzhou and the Brazilian network of Smart Cities. Therefore UNaLab results will impact on different urban socio-economic realities, with diversity in size, challenges and climate conditions. In order to create an EU reference demonstration and go-to-market environment for NBS, UNaLab will use and further develop the ENoLL Urban Living Lab model, and the European Awareness Scenario Workshop method for the co-creation of solutions, and the roadmap approach, in this way achieving an innovative NBS toolbox. Roadmaps will be used in all 10 cities, but in particular serve the follower cities. VTT, with a track record in the field of urban sustainability and Smart Cities, leads UNaLab. The UNaLab consortium is comprised of 29 partners across 12 different European countries and three non-EU countries. The consortium is well-balanced, representing key stakeholders within the value chain of urban challenges and smart, sustainable cities (public bodies, research institutions, large industries, small and medium enterprises.