About three quarters of the population in the EU are urbanites, how can we bring the natural world in to improve our quality of life?

About three quarters of the population in the EU are urbanites. Are you living in an inclusive area, with parks and public spaces designed in consultation with local residents? Or is that something that seems out of your reach? Maybe your experience of city life is less comfortable.

By 2050 approximately 80 % of Europe’s population is projected to be urban, and given the concentrated population and infrastructure, cities are especially vulnerable to environmental stresses.

We have already seen the impact of pollution, both of noise and emissions, heatwaves, flash floods and soil contamination. Global temperature change will exacerbate these issues.

The impact on biodiversity and the consumption of natural resources are also reasons for why it’s time to rethink our approach to urban development and planning, to create greener cities that are more equitable and cohesive.

Nature-based solutions, or NBSs, co-creation, living labs – what do these terms mean and why are they important? This episode’s three guests, all of whom benefited from research and innovation funding, can explain these concepts and how they can contribute to well-being in our cities.

Darko Ferčej(opens in new window) is head of the EU project Unit within the Slovenian non-profit institute, E-zavod(opens in new window). His area of interest is transforming policy theories into practical changes that benefit people’s lives in urban environments, which he explored through the UPSURGE project.

Laura Fregolent(opens in new window) is professor of Urban Planning at the University of Venice(opens in new window) in Italy. Over the years she has investigated the processes of urban transformation and sprawl, and the social impact of housing dynamics. She coordinated the NEIGHBOURCHANGE project.

Gonçalo Canto Moniz(opens in new window) is a professor of Architecture and researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra(opens in new window), in Portugal. He is fascinated by the way co-creation of nature-based solutions within our cities can promote more inclusive urban neighbourhoods, a concept he pursued in the URBiNAT project.

Happy to hear from you!

If you have any feedback, we’re always happy to hear from you! Send us any comments, questions or suggestions to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..