REGREEN

13-10-2020 / hannes.schwaiger

REGREEN and the influence of COVID-19

By Vasileios Latinos and Asa Sang, August 2020

The REGREEN project works intensively with its three European Urban Life-Labs (ULLs), Aarhus (DK), Paris Region (FR) and Velika Gorica (CR). The three ULLs differ in scale and population, from the Region of Paris with its population of 12 million within 1281 municipalities to Velika Gorica with 30 000 inhabitants. Within the REGREEN project, we work on multiple scales, through modelling the ecosystem service delivery from NBS across the administrative region, NBS as an educational facilitator at schoolyards and specific NBS strategies such as depavement to reduce stormwater and flooding.

The current pandemic situation has put a lot of stress on local governance and has shifted some of the planned activities within REGREEN to spring 2020. This included the engagement with the schools within all three ULLs, where the closure of schools led to delays in setting up collaborations and carrying out field works. Within the three ULLs the process is on-going with regards to the mapping and modelling of ecosystem services, engaging the ULLs in dialogues on data requirements as well as identifying the challenges and issues relevant as well as prioritized NBS for each of the ULLs.

REGREEN covers a wide array of topics and works across sectoral units. During the spring, our three ULLs have been involved in a series of stakeholder engaging exercises, including a detailed stakeholder mapping for actors and stakeholders that are significantly relevant and important for work planned within the ULLs. For each ULL, a wide range of different stakeholders was identified and rated using an influence and impact matrix. In the following online (due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak) exercises, the cities engaged in the mapping of different communication endeavors that could be utilized but also in a detailed profiling of stakeholders and additional, strategic options in relation to their engagement.

Read more on how to include NBS in a post COVID-19 economic recovery here.