Cities Talk Nature Conference: Unlocking the potential of underutilised urban areas

Social Media Card of the Event "Cities Talk Nature Europe" on 11 and 12 May 2023. In the Background a green riverbank in the City of Chemnitz, Germany

Cities Talk Nature Conference: Unlocking the potential of underutilised urban areas

Event: Conference
Date: 11 - 12 May 2023
Location: Chemnitz, Germany
Speaker: Sandra Naumann

McKenna Davis

Doris Knoblauch

Natalia Burgos Cuevas

Urban nature has the potential to provide many benefits for society and the environment. As an example, urban green and blue can reduce the negative impacts of heat waves and heavy rainfall events. This makes the creation and protection of urban spaces for nature indispensable in the context of the climate and biodiversity crises.

Underutilised spaces such as brownfields, abandoned industrial areas, oversized roads and parking lots as well as roofs and facades of buildings offer a unique opportunity to increase the share of urban nature. However, such transformations are often associated with challenges. The City of Chemnitz, the upcoming cultural capital of Europe, in cooperation with Climate Alliance and Ecologic Institute, invited you to a two-day conference on how to achieve such a green transition in cities. Topics included: enabling policy and governance frameworks, identification of key actors within city administrations, how to foster cross-sectoral collaboration and citizen participation, financing options, managing conflicts of interest and potential trade-offs between green and grey options for different stakeholders. The conference targeted municipal actors and practitioners interested in tapping into the potential of underutilised areas to expand urban nature.

DAY 1 (Thursday, 11 May 2023): Participants were able to join us and other municipal representatives at the Pentagon in Chemnitz for a full day of keynote presentations, panel discussions, pitch sessions and interactive workshops. Keynotes included a contribution by Dusty Gedge, President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations.
DAY 2 (Friday, 12 May 2023): They were able to come along to our field trips showcasing different green transformation initiatives under development by the city of Chemnitz and joined in our pilot scavenger hunt addressing the challenges of climate-adapted urban planning.

The conference was free of charge. Participation was possible on-site only. English / German / Spanish interpretation was available.

Participants were able to explore how underutilized spaces can help increase the share of nature within urban environments with us!

Contact

McKenna Davis

Coordinator Nature-based Solutions

Senior Fellow

Which Policy Instruments Help Cities Implement Nature-based Solutions?

11 March 2026
Doris Knoblauch

Publication:Report

This report highlights the persistent exclusion of commonly excluded stakeholders (CES) – such as marginalised communities, migrants, Indigenous peoples, youth, older adults, and those facing socio-economic vulnerabilities – from the co-creation of nature-based solutions (NbS). Inclusivity is shown to be essential for NbS to be legitimate, effective, and sustainable, yet CES often remain sidelined due to power asymmetries, structural disadvantages, rigid project cycles, and a lack of trust.

Co-creating Nature-based Solutions with Commonly Excluded Stakeholders

Insights from practice and research

Year 2025

Presentation:Speech

As cities across Europe face increasing pressure from climate risks such as heatwaves and flooding, digital platforms are becoming key enablers of effective and inclusive adaptation planning. The Adaptation AGORA webinar, hosted by Stockholm Environment Institute, brought together over 100 participants to explore three leading platforms that support nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban contexts. Natalia Burgos Cuevas, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented the Urban Governance Atlas – an interactive online database of over 250 policy instruments that support NbS and ecosystem restoration across Europe, Latin America, and beyond.

Digital Tools for Urban Climate Adaptation

22 May 2025
Natalia Burgos Cuevas

Publication:Report

Urban community garden with a colorful sign reading 'Cosechando Comunidad' (Harvesting Community), part of the INTERLACE project publication cover titled 'Locally rooted, globally connected' about Europe–Latin America knowledge exchange in urban ecosystem restoration.

The publication “Locally rooted, globally connected” captures key lessons learned from the knowledge exchanges in the context of the transdisciplinary research and international cooperation between cities, researchers, city networks, and wider stakeholders from Europe and Latin America conducted in the frames of the INTERLACE project. Through partnerships across the two regions, the project highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of working across diverse cultural, institutional, and geographic contexts and demonstrated the importance of tailoring NbS to local contexts while balancing the need for comparability across regions.

Locally Rooted, Globally Connected

Lessons from Europe-Latin America knowledge exchanges in a transdisciplinary research project

Year 2025

Publication:Document

Stories have the unique potential to inspire change, shape perceptions, and foster understanding across diverse audiences. This collection of stories, developed as part of the INTERLACE project, aims to convey the profound emotional and cultural importance natural surroundings have for local communities and showcase the power of collective action.

Stories of Justice in Action

Learning from the INTERLACE project

Year 2025

Publication:Report

This report from the INTERLACE project examines the co-creation of governance instruments with partner cities, offering insights into the collaborative development of policies and tools that support the implementation of nature-based solutions (NbS). Developed through structured exchanges with city representatives and guided by the expertise of the project task team, the report sheds light on both the challenges and practicalities of co-creating governance frameworks for urban ecosystem restoration.

Insight notes on co-producing value-added governance instruments for restorative NbS

Milestone 2.3

Year 2024

Publication:Report

Nature-based solutions (NbS) aim to improve the world for everyone, which means ensuring that vulnerable groups, such as women, children, migrants, and people with disabilities, benefit alongside other social groups. This report, part of the INTERLACE project, assesses how these groups have been included in the planning and implementation of project activities, offering valuable insights for future NBS initiatives and research.

Ethics, Gender and Diversity Monitoring in INTERLACE

Summary report

Year 2025

Publication:Article

The INTERLACE project, funded by Horizon 2020, exemplifies innovative transdisciplinary approaches to tackling urban challenges through nature-based solutions (NBS). By fostering stakeholder engagement, developing practical tools, and supporting ecosystem restoration, the project empowers cities across Europe and Latin America to implement sustainable NBS. McKenna Davis and Benedict Buebfrom Ecologic Institute provided key insights into the project's progress and outcomes.

Nature-based Solutions to Urban Challenges

Year 2024

Publication:Report

Der Bericht "Integrating Nature-Based Solutions in Policy and Planning. Findings and Lessons from INTERLACE Cities" (dt.: Erkenntnisse und Lektionen aus den INTERLACE-Städten), fasst die Erfahrungen der sieben Partnerstädte in Europa und Lateinamerika zusammen. Er richtet sich an politische Entscheidungsträger:innen und Stadtplaner:innen, die naturbasierte Lösungen (NbS) systematisch in ihre städtischen Planungs- und Governance-Strukturen einbinden möchten. Dabei betont die Publikation die Bedeutung inklusiver Beteiligungsprozesse sowie den Einsatz moderner Daten- und Finanzierungsinstrumente, um NbS auf eine breitere Ebene zu skalieren.

Integrating Nature-Based Solutions in Policy and Planning

Findings and Lessons from INTERLACE Cities

Year 2024

Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International
Organizer: City of Chemnitz, Germany
Partner: Ecologic Institute, Germany

Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples, The European Secretariat (Climate Alliance), International
Speaker: Sandra Naumann

McKenna Davis

Doris Knoblauch

Natalia Burgos Cuevas
Team: Benedict Bueb
Date: 11 - 12 May 2023
Location: Chemnitz, Germany
Project: International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)
Project ID: 33001
Keywords: Biodiversity

Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
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Cities
Climate
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Coastal + Marine
Communication
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Culture + Ecology
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Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal
Evaluation
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