Multilateral Exchange: JUSTNature's City to City Cross-Learning Workshop

The JUSTNature project successfully hosted its Online Multilateral City Exchange Workshop on June 17, 2025. The event brought together city representatives, urban practitioners, and sustainability experts from across Europe in a collaborative effort to share experiences about the adoption of Nature-based Solutions. It featured both members of our CiPeLs as well as from the project's twinning cities. Co-organized by the Prospex Institute and the Institute for Urban Excellence, the event was part of JUSTNature’s Twinning Cities programme within the project’s broader mission to foster inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient cities across Europe.

Held in a new, experimental formal, the exchange focused on:

• Strengthening cross-city ties and networks,
• Facilitating open knowledge sharing, and
• Catalysing new learnings to support urban climate action.

Participants showcased impactful practices under several core JUSTNature themes, including: Public–Private Partnerships, co-governance, ICT and sensors post-project. We had exceptional guests who held a series of presentations and discussions led by experts and key stakeholders from various organisations involved in urban sustainability initiatives. The session was moderated by Tannya Pico (iUE). The introduction was made by the JUSTNature team: it started with a welcome by Daniel Matkovits (PI), followed by Eleni Goni (E2ARC) presenting the JUSTNature’s City Practice Labs (CiPeLs) and Magdalena Janzic (PI) introducing the JUSTNature’s Twinning Cities programme. Then, the guest speakers presented their projects.

Budapest District 18, Hungary

Balazs Kozak (Burst Group) presented Budapest's District 18, the UPSURGE Horizon project focused on implementing green infrastructure through the design and deployment of rain gardens across public and private spaces. This initiative aimed to improve urban climate conditions and mitigate the effects of flash flooding, a recurring issue in the area. The project benefited from strong political backing, local technical expertise, and the support of a wide international partnership network, which helped guide and inform the planning and implementation processes. However, several barriers emerged, notably resistance from residents who were accustomed to using public green spaces for parking. In addition, the project team faced a steep learning curve in developing the technical skills necessary to build and maintain rain gardens effectively.

To foster community support and ensure long-term sustainability, the municipality invested in outreach efforts that included educational workshops, printed guides, and citizen science programs such as air quality monitoring. A major lesson from the experience was the critical importance of timing; for instance, many rain gardens that were installed late in the season during a severe drought failed to thrive despite irrigation. This emphasized the need for careful scheduling and planning. Equally important was the consistent involvement of the community —from early-stage design to maintenance— which proved essential for the long-term success and acceptance of the green infrastructure.

Louth County Council, Ireland

Ursula Conlon represented the Louth County Council, which participated in the VARCITIES project, transforming an underused staff car park in the town center into a vibrant public space that includes a sensory garden, outdoor learning pod, and digital sensor network. These “visionary solutions” integrate nature-based elements with cutting-edge digital and social features to promote health, inclusivity, and learning in the urban environment. The project highlighted the value of creating multifunctional public spaces that are accessible year-round and meet the needs of a diverse community.

The implementation process was not without its challenges. Engaging stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic proved difficult, particularly when transitioning to virtual platforms for outreach and consultation. Legal issues related to land ownership also required redesigning and negotiation. Additionally, incorporating and managing a complex system of environmental sensors presented technical hurdles, especially for a local authority with limited previous experience in data systems. Despite these obstacles, the project was a notable success. It fostered a strong sense of community ownership, increased public usage of the site significantly, and set a precedent for more inclusive, resilient urban design. The site was also recognized nationally for its accessibility and inclusive features.

Pécs, Hungary

Diána Weller, from the city of Pécs, presented the ambitious steps toward climate action through participation in the EU Net Zero Cities initiative. As one of Hungary’s selected mission cities, Pécs aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The city's strategy focuses on four major development areas: renewable energy and energy security, energy-efficient buildings, circular economy and waste management, and sustainable mobility. Recognizing the scale of the transformation required, the municipality prioritized building a strong governance structure to coordinate climate action. This included forming a Climate Protection Steering Committee, a Mayor’s Climate Advisory Group, and an open Climate Platform that involves NGOs, businesses, academia, and residents.

This structured co-governance approach enabled collaborative decision-making and fostered civic participation. One of the major achievements was the signing of a Climate City Contract, which included commitments from influential local stakeholders, such as business leaders, religious institutions, and the university. Despite these advancements, the city continues to face systemic barriers—most notably Hungary’s centralized governance model, which limits the autonomy of local governments. Financial and regulatory constraints make it difficult to fully implement and scale climate actions. Nonetheless, the Pécs experience illustrates the power of local networks, institutional collaboration, and long-term civic engagement in advancing climate-neutral urban futures.

Some of the main take-aways and shared themes across cities were:

• Community engagement is crucial for both implementation and long-term maintenance.
• Technical, legal, and climate barriers are common but manageable through collaboration.
• Digital tools (e.g., sensors) add value but require support and training.
• Political will and institutional collaboration (e.g., universities, NGOs) are key enablers.

The exchange not only highlighted proven practices but also created a space for cities to identify shared challenges and explore replicable, scalable solutions together.