All Things Urban

The JUSTNATURE project aims the activation of nature-based solutions (NbS) by ensuring a just transition to low-carbon cities, based on the principle of the right to ecological space. We a four year and a half project that started in 2021, working together with seven City Practice Labs (CiPels) and 13 organisations across Europe to discuss how to involve citizens in implementing green and sustainable spaces to achieve high air quality and low carbon neighbourhoods, as it is the right of every citizen. City Practice Labs (CiPels) constitute the backbone of the project’s activities by delivering community-engaged, co-explored and co-decided innovation to implement Nature Based Solutions to tackle down the environmental challenges in all these cities. In the JustNature project, Each project city has the opportunity to participate in cross-learning activities with their own ‘twin city’. Through periodic workshops, twin cities participate in intensive knowledge exchange on the topic of promoting and upscaling Nature-based Solutions. The City Practice Labs (CiPeLs) will involve and collaborate with additional cities in order to engage in cross-learning activities with intradepartmental teams. While most of the project cities have been paired with their selected cities, the city of Gzira, Malta, is currently looking for its own twin city with which to exchange common challenges, barriers and experiences. The cross-learning workshops aim to identify issues covering: - Engagement - Governance - Business replication - IT solutions - Gender and other relevant aspects of the project Additional bi-annual exchanges through on-line meetings will be facilitated to ensure a constructive dialogue and knowledge exchange. The cross-learning workshops and online meetings will be moderated by members of the City of Gzira who will also be responsible for producing the relevant reports and minutes. This process will enable a wide scale replication of effective Low carbon | High Air Quality NbS.

The potential city is required to have some similar conditions: - Mediterranean climate - - High urban density - Approximately 0.6 square kilometer size - Geographic context - Experiences extreme Urban Heat Island The workshop is expected to happen in June 2023, and the selection process will last until October 2022.

If you are interested in joining the cross-learning and would like more information about the programme structure, please send an email to Methi Laithavewat at: [email protected] or visit our project website (https://justnatureproject.eu/)

The overall objective of JUSTNature is the activation of nature-based solutions (NbS) by ensuring a just transition to low-carbon cities, based on the principle of the right to ecological space. Our goals are brought to life in six City Practice Labs across Europe: Chania, Gzira, Leuven, Merano & Bolzano, Munich, and Szombathely. ​The JUSTNature project consortium consists of 20 partners who are working together with their teams on achieving the project’s objectives. The team consists of a network of seven city partners and a wide range of partner organizations ranging across the fields of research, technology, stakeholder, and community engagement. In this view, the JUSTNature consortium adds to its excellence of knowledge and in-depth expertise across a wide range of disciplines and types of organizations and sectors all across Europe.