‘Nature-based solutions is about bringing nature to everybody’

What are nature-based solutions, and what is the REGREEN project about?

In this episode we interview Senior researcher from Aarhus University, Marianne Zandersen, who is coordinating the EU Horizon2020 project, REGREEN.

‘Nature is part of the city-identity’

What climate challenges is an old city like Aarhus in Denmark facing, and how does rapid citizen growth impact sustainable urban development?

In this episode we interview Landscape Manager, Signe Marie Iversen, and Forest and Landscape Engineer, Gorm Halskov, from the REGREEN Urban Living Lab, Aarhus Municipality.

‘All the SDGs are covered by NBS, definitely.’

How and why are nature-based solutions interlinked with the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

In this episode, we try to find an answer to this question through a conversation with Shreya Utkarsh and Daniela Rizzi, respectively Officer and Senior for Nature-Based Solutions, Green Infrastructures and Biodiversity at ICLEI Europe.

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‘The biggest difficulty of nbs is for people to understand them.’

Which effect does heavy urbanization have on biodiversity? And which potential does a big river like the Seine have in a city like Paris?

In this episode, we explore the French capital region with ecologist Marc Barra, from Institut Paris Region, and hydraulic engineer Eric Chanal, general director of the SIAH, Mixed union for the Hydraulic Development of the valleys of the Croult and the Petit Rosne.

‘If you want to build nature-based solutions, you need to have children that know about nature.’

How can citizen science help us learn about nature? And which role does citizen science play within the REGREEN project?

In episode 5 of the podcast, we get to dive into the concept of citizen science, its possibilities and its potential.Our guides are Jeppe Læssøe from Aarhus University, along with Anne-Caroline Prevot and Simon Benateau from Muséum nationale d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.

“The more kids are involved as young, the more they can do”

Why is it important to involve kids and young people in making our cities green and welcoming? And how do we do it?

In this episode, Stine Casparij Kondrup from Intugreen explains why it is important to engage young people in the process of sustainable urban development. She is joined by elected eco-delegates Kristen Larmurier and Fadia Belkacem who share their experiences and thoughts on the subject from their high school in Paris.

“Some citizens want to remove the trees. Others want to plant more.”

What kind of challenges is the little Croatian city facing? And how can planting trees be part of the solution to all of them?

In this episode, Gordana Mikulčić Krnjaja, Head of department for Spatial planning and Environmental Protection, Marko Ruzic, Consultant for environmental protection, and Kristina Vucak, Senior expert associate for landscaping, take us through the challenges and solutions of the small Croatian city of Velika Gorica.

“The citizens of Beijing demand not only more nature, but better nature with higher biodiversity.”

How does one of the biggest and most populous cities in the world manage to have an urban green space of 51% and increasing?

In this eight and final episode, we discover the green side of the metropolis Beijing with Jun Yang, Professor of Ecology from Tsinghua University. We learn about some of the climate challenges Beijing is facing, how nature-based solutions are used actively to prevent flooding, heat islands, and other challenges. And we get an introduction to the differences and similarities between the Chinese and the European perception of nature.