Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A France - Belgium - The Netherlands - United Kingdom (Les Deux Mers / Two seas / Twee Zeeën)

Date of latest update: 2024-03-26

Description

Description (EN):

To enable local authorities (LAs) in the 2 Seas to move away from subsidy dependence to fund green infrastructure (GI) climate investments by demonstrating the direct benefits and 'cash' benefits that are available to LAs that invest in GI as a means of building climate resilience in to their urban landscapes.

Achievements (EN):

The project has made good progress during 2020 & is on course to complete all project Outputs by the new project end date of August 2022. The main focus of the project is the Development of a Business Model (BM) that local authorities (LAs) can use to justify the use of green infrastructure solutions, over more traditional, grey approaches. To ensure the BM is grounded in the needs of LAs, 53 semi-structured interviews were completed in 2020 with 15 LAs from the 2 Seas region. The results of these interviews have been published in a report & further summarised in a complimentary brochure (available from the NSCiti2S website). Significant progress has been made in testing the BM in the Municipality of Kapelle & the City of Bruges. The latter, supporting the decision making for a high profile ‘quick win investment’ which will act as the catalyst for a bigger 10-12m Euro project to open up the Kerkebeek Stream. A concept note detailing how the BM will work has been developed & approved by Partners. The finalisation of this note brought together the experience to date in testing the BM with investment pilots, the results of a GI Valuation Tool review & the semi-structured interviews. This note is has been a crucial step in reaching consensus amongst Partners on the development of a BM that meets the needs of LAs with populations <550,000. The project is on course to produce the first draft of the BM by June 2021. Good progress has been made for a number of the pilots. The realisation of the iconic & innovative Urban Waterbuffer in the Cromvliet Park has been completed in The Hague ensuring the neighbourhood is more resilient to flooding, heat & drought in the future. In the Province of Antwerp, 5 of the 7 ‘sub’ pilots have been completed (many implementing more GI than originally foreseen) to improve connectivity of these areas for local residents whilst building climate resilience. However, Covid 19 has had an impact on the pilot delivery & progress has been delayed in the Kapelle, Southend-on-Sea & Lille. Careful management will ensure these pilots are delivered in time to ensure adequate testing of the BM. The project has been involved in a number of external events to publicise the project, communicate work on the BM & build cross-border collaboration. In November, an Annual Exchange Event organised with the Cool Towns project was attended by 200 attendees from the 2 Seas region, Germany, Italy, the United States, Thailand & South Africa.

Website: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

Improved capacity for decision-makers and city influencers at local authorities (LAs) to approve and justify green infrastructure climate investments using 'city-finance'. To include: - 75 LAs involved as City Partners, Observer Partners or Follower Cities who can use the Business Model, methodology and approval process. - 2,025 decision-makers and city influencers at LAs with capacity and skills (455 City Partners, 1,050 Obs. Partners, 520 Follower Cities) to deliver GI climate investments.

Expected Outputs (EN):

The main output will be a new Business Model that enables LAs in the 2 Seas to understand how they can self-finance GI climate investments and reduce dependency on subsidies to build climate resilience in their towns and cities by (WP1). The project will also deliver: • Step-by-step methodology and approval process (toolkit) for LAs to apply the Business Model to their own GI climate investments (WP1). • Delivery of 7 GI pilot projects (2x BE, 1x FR, 2x NL, 2x UK) that help develop, test and validate the Business Model (WP3). • Nature Smart Capacity Building Programmes that builds capacity of decision-makers at 75 LAs to help them apply the direct benefits and ‘cash’ benefits of GI climate investments to their own GI projects (WP2 and WP5). • 7 new strategies (1x each City Partner) detailing how they will increase the amount of green space in their urban area between 2020 and 2050 providing a long-term purpose for the Business Model and work together as ‘Green Twinned Cities’ (WP2).

Thematic information

Urban development Climate change and biodiversity

Specific Objective: Improve the ecosystem-based capacity of 2 Seas stakeholders to climate change and its associated water-related effects

Thematic Objective: (05) promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management by:

Investment Priority: (05a) supporting investment for adaptation to climate change, including ecosystem-based approaches

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: Southend on Sea Borough Council

Department: Department for PLACE

Address: Victoria Avenue, SS2 6ER Southend on Sea, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 1 212 899.60

ERDF budget: EUR 727 739.76

Municipality Kapelle

Name: Municipality Kapelle

Department: Living Environment

Address: Kerkplein 1, 4420 AC Kapelle, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 786 277.50

ERDF budget: EUR 471 766.50

Imperial College London

Name: Imperial College London

Department: Centre for Environmental Policy

Address: Exhibition Road , SW7 2AZ London, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 209 998.30

ERDF budget: EUR 125 998.98

Lille

Name: Lille

Department: Directorate General of Services

Address: Hôtel de Ville - CS 30667, 59033 Lille cedex, France

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 732 850.00

ERDF budget: EUR 439 710.00

Den Haag

Name: Den Haag

Department: Department of Urban Development

Address: Spui 70, 2511 BT Den Haag, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 847 224.00

ERDF budget: EUR 508 334.40

Cambridge City Council

Name: Cambridge City Council

Department: Environmental Services

Address: 4 Regent St, CB2 1BY Cambridge, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 695 985.85

ERDF budget: EUR 417 591.51

Universiteit Gent

Name: Universiteit Gent

Department: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering

Address: St. Pietersnieuwstraat 25, 9000 Gent, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 150 373.50

ERDF budget: EUR 90 224.10

Provincie Antwerpen

Name: Provincie Antwerpen

Department: Environmental Department

Address: Koningin Elisabethlei 22, 2018 Antwerpen, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 196 273.95

ERDF budget: EUR 117 764.37

Universiteit Antwerpen

Name: Universiteit Antwerpen

Department: Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development

Address: Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 355 857.70

ERDF budget: EUR 213 514.62

Stad Brugge

Name: Stad Brugge

Department: Public Domain Cluster

Address: Hoogstraat 37, 8000 Brugge, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 658 500.00

ERDF budget: EUR 395 100.00

De Zuidrand Streekvereniging

Name: De Zuidrand Streekvereniging

Department: Environment

Address: Gemeenteplein 1, 2550 Kontich, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 534 229.00

ERDF budget: EUR 320 537.40

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Municipality Kapelle

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Southend on Sea Borough Council

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Imperial College London

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Lille

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Den Haag

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Cambridge City Council

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Universiteit Gent

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Province of Antwerp

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Antwerpen University

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

Stad Brugge

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Partners and Projects info

De Zuidrand Streekvereniging

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Project acronym: NSCiti2S

Project start date: 2018-09-03

Project end date: 2022-08-25

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 6 380 469.40

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 828 281.64

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 3 828 281.64.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Videos / films

The Nature Smart Cities Project (English)

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2020-05-28

Languages: en

NSCiti2S Pilot Project: The Urban Waterbuffer

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2021-11-29

Languages: en, nl

The Nature Smart Cities Business Model

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-03-31

Languages: en

NSCiti2S Pilot Project: Van Musschenbroekstraat, The Hague

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-12-20

Languages: nl

NSCiti2S Pilot Project: Launchpad Innovation Centre

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-11-29

Languages: en

NSCiti2s Pilot Project: Rediscovering the Kerkebeek, City of Bruges

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2023-03-31

Languages: nl

NSCiti2S Pilot Project: Water infiltration in green streets

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-06-14

Languages: nl

NSCiti2S Pilot Project: Cambridge Canopy Project

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-11-25

Languages: en

NSCiti2s Pilot Project: Rediscovering the Kerkebeek, City of Bruges

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2023-03-31

Languages: en, nl

NSCiti2S Pilot: Permeable paths & water buffering ponds, Antwerp Zuidrand

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2021-11-29

Languages: nl

Reports

An Examination of the Financing Options Available to Local Authorities to Fund Urban Greening Programmes

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-25

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

A report for the Nature Smart Cities project partnership by Phil Back and Alex Collins, Imperial College London

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2020-06-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

A report for the Nature Smart Cities Partnership

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2021-11-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

A publication that explores the benefits that urban greening brings to our cities & towns.

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-25

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A France - Belgium - The Netherlands - United Kingdom (Les Deux Mers / Two seas / Twee Zeeën)

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-06-18

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

82 / 82 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

857 / 887 (96.62%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.interreg2seas.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-11-09 and 2024-03-08.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

Contact Form

Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer