CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Central Europe

Date of latest update: 2025-10-08

Description

Description (EN):

CONE helps to solve urban challenges caused by climate change e.g., heat stress, biodiversity loss, flooding vs. water scarcity, and water quality. As identified in the environmental report of the strategic environmental assessment, heat extremes and heat waves in central Europe have increased considerably and are projected to become even more frequent and longer lasting. A specific problem is the urban heat island effect, i.e., cities facing higher temperatures (up to 12° C) than their surroundings. As regards water, changing rainfall patterns in central Europe suggest two extreme rainfall scenarios. First, heavy rain events are projected to increase by 35% until 2070 and will lead to higher risks of frequent rain-related floods and flash floods, in particular in the northwestern and central western regions. At the same time, decreased summer precipitation and meteorological droughts are expected in southern Europe (EEA, 2019). Northern Italy and Slovenia may be particularly affected by meteorological droughts, especially during summer periods. What emerged from a preliminary territorial analysis conducted by project partners, is that major floods affect all the partner countries causing damages to the built-up areas of towns and cities. Since heavy rainfalls happen unexpectedly after long dry periods, the ground is not able to absorb and retain the rainwater burden. In combination with a lack of proper drainage conditions, this may cause severe damage to private and public properties with elevated security risks for the populations. Rivers, in some cases, are affected by embankments’ erosion that causes major damage to local biodiversity, besides the risk of having high groundwater in the nearby zones. On the contrary, during the summertime water scarcity raises the need to efficiently retain the water run-off in the riverbed and to balance the water level. These changes in the inland water levels affect recreational services and water quality and, in some cases, they bring to water usage limitations (e.g., garden watering is forbidden during the summertime). Besides the more concrete challenges related to climate change, it has been found that climate risk awareness is generally quite poor and there’s a need to target all generations and influence their social attitude. These challenges affect municipalities with direct and indirect effects on citizens’ health and well-being, economic situations, safety, and security. In fact, municipalities are the main actors responsible for developing urban planning plans, greening plans, safety and security plans, plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation. To change this, transnational cooperation is central because climate change is a pan-European challenge. This is why the project partnership decided to work together with local working action groups, mobilizing actors from the Quadruple Helix: public, private sector, civil society, and academia. Together, they’ll aim to increase awareness about climate change and create more democratic and digitally driven processes that support the application of Nature-based solutions in urban contexts. To achieve this, the project partnership composed of municipalities and umbrella organizations will establish 3 different pilot cases that, starting from local challenges related to rainwater management, heat stress, and river basins and embankments management, will organize multi-level, multi-sector, and multi-actor’s urban living labs in 5 locations: Padova (IT), Poljcane (SI), Wejherowo (PL), Jászberény, (HU), České Budějovice (Budweis)(CZ). Urban living labs are innovation laboratories that involve actors from the Quadruple Helix. The Urban living lab method sees three phases of realization: 1. Collaborative research and context analysis to confirm the identified challenges and to scout for needs and barriers in local contexts. 2. Experimental phase that goes from ideation of innovative solutions, their incubation and strategy development. 3. Experimentation and feedback: testing of the implemented solution, collection of feedback, suggestions for improvements, validation, and replication. Each urban living lab will test a different participatory methodology that will engage citizens in territorial analysis and consultations on urban investments for the application of nature-based solutions. In three years of cooperation, it is expected that a replicability protocol will be developed starting from the piloted living labs, and that a jointly developed transnational strategy will be presented to CE’s policymakers to facilitate the way towards Urban Greening Plans in CE, like foreseen by the EU Biodiversity strategy.

Actual Achievements (EN):

Project outputs: TRANSNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR NBS - URBAN LIVING LABS(EN)
JOINT GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL LIVING LABS(EN)
PILOT ACTIONS: TESTING OF NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS IN URBAN LIVING LABS(EN)
RAINWATER MANAGEMENT, HEAT STRESS, AND RIVER BASINS AND EMBANKMENTS MANAGEMENT METHODS THROUGH NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS(EN)
Joint development of a strategy paving the way towards Urban Greening Plans in CE (EN)
Website: https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/cone/

Thematic information

Urban development Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_CE_2) Cooperating for a greener central Europe

Priority specific objective: RSO2.4. Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 060 Adaptation to climate change measures and prevention and management of climate related risks: others, e.g. storms and drought (including awareness raising, civil protection and disaster management systems, infrastructures and ecosystem based approaches)

Partners (10)

Lead Partner: UniSMART- Fondazione degli Studi di Padova

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 909789482

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT04983000284

Department: EU projects unit

Address: Via VIII febbraio, 35122 Padova, Italy

Department address: Via Beldomandi , 35137 Padova, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Other

Website: https://www.unismart.it/

Total budget: EUR 257 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 206 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 51 500.00

Comune di Padova

Name: Comune di Padova

Department: Green department

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 953607292

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT00644060287

Address: VIA OTTO FEBBRAIO 1848, 35122 Padova, Italy

Department address: Via Tommaseo, 35122 Padova, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: https://www.padovanet.it/

Total budget: EUR 206 139.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 164 911.20

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 41 227.80

Jászberény Városi Önkormányzat

Name: Jászberény Városi Önkormányzat

Department: Department of Urban Development, Municipality of Jászberény

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU15732671

Address: Lehel vezér tér , 5100 Jászberény , Hungary

Department address: Lehel vezér tér , 5100 Jászberény, Hungary

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.jaszbereny.hu

Total budget: EUR 189 950.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 151 960.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 990.00

Contractors:

Name: HBH Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 10412426-2-41
Name: GEO-SIVO Kft.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 12006292-2-43
Name: Dr. Földi Zsuzsanna
VAT registration or tax identification number: 8388980572

Občina Poljčane

Name: Občina Poljčane

Department: -

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 881979679

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI30543673

Address: Bistriška cesta, SI-2319 Poljcane, Slovenia

Department address: Bistriška cesta, SI-2319 Poljcane, Slovenia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.poljcane.si

Total budget: EUR 127 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 101 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 400.00

Statutární město České Budějovice

Name: Statutární město České Budějovice

Department: -

Partner’s ID if not PIC: CZ00244732

Address: Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II, 370 92 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Department address: Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II, 370 92 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: https://www.c-budejovice.cz/

Total budget: EUR 158 651.20

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 126 920.96

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 31 730.24

JAIP – Jihočeská agentura pro podporu inovací, o.p.s.

Name: JAIP – Jihočeská agentura pro podporu inovací, o.p.s.

Department: -

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 950213359

Partner’s ID if not PIC: CZ26091143

Address: Na Zlaté stoce , 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Department address: Na Zlaté stoce , 37005 České Budějovice , Czech Republic

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.jaip.cz

Total budget: EUR 191 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 153 120.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 38 280.00

Gdańsk University of Technology

Name: Gdańsk University of Technology

Department: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999588784

Partner’s ID if not PIC: PL5840203593

Address: Narutowicza, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland

Department address: Narutowicza, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.pg.edu.pl

Total budget: EUR 182 730.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 146 184.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 36 546.00

Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic

Name: Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic

Department: International projects

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 913455791

Partner’s ID if not PIC: PL5782449856 | 170419477 | REGON (EN)

Address: Stary Rynek, 82-300 Elblag, Poland

Department address: Stary Rynek, 82-300 Elblag, Poland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://eurobalt.org.pl/

Total budget: EUR 167 520.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 134 016.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 33 504.00

Gmina Miasta Wejherowa

Name: Gmina Miasta Wejherowa

Department: N/A

Partner’s ID if not PIC: PL5881000993 | 000526251 | REGON (EN)

Address: Plac Jakuba Wejhera, 84200 Wejherowo, Poland

Department address: 12-go Marca, 84200 Wejherowo, Poland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Other

Website: https://www.wejherowo.pl/

Total budget: EUR 173 794.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 139 035.20

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 34 758.80

BURST Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság

Name: BURST Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság

Department: n/a

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 900974122

Partner’s ID if not PIC: HU26687771

Address: Németvölgyi út, 1124 Budapest, Hungary

Department address: Németvölgyi út, 1124 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: public

Organisation type: SME

Website: https://www.burstgroup.eu/

Total budget: EUR 190 160.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 152 128.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 38 032.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Comune di Padova

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

Municipality of Jászberény

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

Municipality of Poljcane

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

City of České Budějovice

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

JAIP – South Bohemian Agency for Support to Innovation

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

Gdańsk University of Technology

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

Wejherowo Municipality

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

BURST Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Partners and Projects info

UniSMART- Foundation of Padua University

CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

Project acronym: CONE

Project ID: CE0200766

Project start date: 2024-06-01

Project end date: 2026-11-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

HORIZON EUROPE CALLS 2023-2024 (EN) | CONE will create synergies with projects financed by Horizon Europe under the Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change that sets out how the EU can adapt to unavoidable impacts of climate change and become climate resilient by 2050. The Mission mainstreams nature-based approaches that will be also of relevance for the forthcoming Nature Restoration Law. The project creates synergies also with the Missions’ Joint Calls HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01, and in particular HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01-01: Urban greening and re-naturing for urban regeneration, resilience and climate neutrality. (EN), INTERREG CENTRAL EUROPE 2021-2027
Projects of the 1st call for proposals
CONE will create synergies as topics are complementary to each other
(EN) | CoFarm4Cities: The rapid expansion of cities increasingly causes land use conflicts. Green areas are declining while citizens demand more community gardens and cultivable spaces. PPs develop climate-friendly NBS that increase urban resilience to climate change (CC). They design and pilot a replicable model for profitable urban farming with key stakeholders in 5 cities.
GreenScape: Cities are growing in CE, often turning green areas into grey concrete places. This urban sprawl accelerates negative effects of CC such as urban heat islands. PPs strengthen planning capacities and pilots the application of NBS and green infrastructure approaches in five cities, which are significantly affected by urban heat island effects.
MAURICE: scarcity of water resources due to extreme weather events and falling groundwater levels threaten our cities and regions. The project introduces new water management solutions for cities to be integrated into broader concepts on regional CC adaptation and encourages the uptake of urban water management tools and measures.
MISSION CE CLIMATE: helps regions to better coordinate their responses to climate change. PPs activate citizens in pilot regions to contribute to newly introduced community climate missions and develop a climate resilience strategy 2030 including locally adapted action plans.
ReCo: The EU Green Belt is a unique network of ecologically important habitats and protected nature areas. Crossing countries along the line of the former Iron Curtain, it is under pressure: growing land use is leading to biodiversity and habitat degradation. The ReCo project pilots a new protection and conservation strategy by capitalising on geo-information and data processing systems. The partnership also adopts a community-based development approach to leverage funds and activities. (EN), VARCITIES – "Visionary Nature-Based Actions for Health, well-being and resilience in cities" (H2020-SC5-2018-2019-2020)
PP: UNIS (EN) | CONE will create synergies with VARCITIES as both are implemented by UNIS. In an increasingly urbanising world, governments and international corporations strive to increase productivity of cities, recognized as economic growth hubs, as well as ensuring better quality of life and living conditions for citizens. Although significant effort is performed by international organisations, researchers, etc. to transform the challenges of Cities into opportunities, the visions of our urban future are trending towards bleak. Social services and health facilities are significantly affected in negative ways owed to the increase in urban populations (70% by 2050) . Air pollution and urban exacerbation of heat islands is exacerbating . Nature will struggle to compensate in the future City, as rural land is predicted to shrink by 30% affecting liveability. VARCITIES puts the citizens and the “human community” in the eye of the future cities’ vision. Future cities should evolve to be human centred. The vision is to implement real, visionary ideas and add value by establishing sustainable models for increasing H&WB of citizens (children, young people, middle age, elderly) that are exposed to diverse climatic conditions and challenges around Europe (e.g. from harsh winters in Skelleftea-SE to hot summers in Chania-GR, from deprived areas in Novo mesto-SI to increased pollution in Malta) through shared public spaces that make cities liveable and welcoming. (EN), SHELTER – "Resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas to cope with climate change and hazard events" (HORIZON 2020 LC-CLA-04-2018)
PP: UNIS (EN) | SHELTER aims at developing a data driven and community-based knowledge framework that will bring together the scientific community and heritage managers. The main objectives are: increasing resilience, reducing vulnerability and promoting better and safer reconstruction in historic areas. The project tackles major events, also caused by climate change. For instance, it created a pilot in the Danube’s tributary Sava river basin to prevent or dam river flooding and to directly engage citizens on mapping climate events. SHELTER has built a collaborative platform helping stakeholders in maintaining and ameliorating the territory (EN), 2ISECAP-
Institutionalised Integrated Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans
SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy
2021-2024
PP: PADUA (EN) | CONE develops synergies with the project, as both are implemented by PADUA and the topics are intertwined. In fact, both 2ISECAP and CONE tackle the issue of climate change through the living lab methodology. 2ISECAP aims at updating the SECAP of participating cities (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan) thanks to the implementation of living labs. The project brings together 8 EU member states with the overall aim is to bridge the gap between local sustainable energy planning and implementation by supporting the capacity building of public authorities and developing interface capacities within public authorities to engage with civil society towards energy transition. (EN), RiskPACC-
Integrating Risk Perception and Action to enhance Civil protection-Citizen interaction
HORIZON 2020
2021-2024
Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
PP: PADUA (EN) | The RiskPACC project seeks to understand the Risk Perception Action Gap (RPAG) between the climate risk perceptions and actions of citizens when considering extreme weather events to strengthen individual and collective disaster resilience. Through a dedicated co-creation approach and its seven case studies, Padova municipality identified the most relevant and frequent climate risks and involved local citizens to discuss possible existing and innovative solutions to manage at best emergency situations occurring during extreme weather events. Part of the project is devoted to creating dedicated tools to strengthen civil protection intervention.
CONE can easily create synergies as the topics are intertwined and RiskPACC could be a baseline for a more systematic approach in Padua Municipality. (EN), Green up 2022-2024 - youth for green change of schools and local communities
Norwegian Funds
2022-2024
PP: APC ERB (EN) | The project aims to:
develop a long-term ecological strategy, pro-environmental activities of the young generation in peripheral regions;
create a regional platform for cooperation and multi-stakeholder dialogue (NGOs, local government units, schools, youth) for the benefit of local communities and environmental protection;
involve school as a living laboratory of change - inclusion of local communities in the life of the school, in environmental education and in environmental activities;
create new solutions to existing problems and challenges;
"Green UP" is also to increase civic engagement and the practical influence of young people on local decisions and changes in schools (9) in 3 municipalities (at school and municipality).
CONE is in line with activities already being implemented by APC ERB and mutual learning can be ensured. (EN), WaterMan
Interreg Baltic Sea Region
2023-2025
PP: APC ERB & GUT (EN) | WaterMan is promoting water reuse in the Baltic Sea Region. In doing so, it adds a new element to water management that can make water supply more climate-resilient. The key actors in water reuse are local authorities and water utilities, for most of whom the topic is still new. WaterMan will provide them with the knowledge and tools to develop strategic approaches and implement concrete measures that will put water reuse into practice. The topic of water management is a priority in all the living labs that will be developed in CONE. Therefore, synergies and mutual learning are ensured, especially for pilot actions developed in Poland. (EN), NBS Markets- Nature Based Solutions in Public Markets and Trading Areas of SB Cities
Interreg South Baltic
2023-2025
PP: APC ERB
(EN) | Seed money application under the programme Interreg South Baltic seed facility
The overall goal of the project is to create strong partnerships that work together to develop and test methods for introducing nature-based solutions in markets. Implementation of a future regular project will increase the use of green technologies in cities and locally solve the problem of pollution and waste generated by markets. The focus is on marketplaces, which could also be part of the territorial analysis that will be conducted in the urban living labs. (EN), TeAM Hub
NetworkNature- Advancing nature-based solutions together
HORIZON 2020
2020-2023
PP: BURST (EN) | BURST coordinates a Hungarian Hub for Nature-Based Solutions under the umbrella of the Horizon2020-funded NetworkNature project (called “TeAM HUb”). NetworkNature is a resource for the nature-based solutions community, creating opportunities for local, regional and international cooperation to maximise the impact and spread of nature-based solutions. The project will have a continuation under Horizon Europe. BURST will use the dissemination channels offered by NetworkNature to increase visibility and impact of the project and also use the NetworkNature community to collect relevant knowledge and good practices. (EN), Developing a Livable city in Jászberény (Code: TOP_Plusz1.2.1-21-JN1-2022-00031)
ERDF
PP: Jászberény
(EN) | The goal is the development and reconstruction of the water retention and drainage network serving the climatic and physical protection of the inner area, taking into account the goals of integrated rainwater management and helping to mitigate the negative effects caused by climate change in the city. Within this, the development of a stormwater drainage network for the protection of Jászberény happens in a particular neighbourhood near the city centre.
In recent years, flooding has occurred in the affected part of the area in wetter periods in areas characterised by family homes. The streets in the area, with the exception of Nagykátai and Ipartelep roads, are narrow, in which there are family houses with gardens, access to which becomes difficult during rainy periods. Thus, the solution of stormwater drainage of narrow single-family streets is also necessary. The local government’s goal is to keep water in place, and local businesses operating in the area are also partners in this endeavour. The stormwater sewer to be built could only solve the stormwater drainage problem of properties with residential functions, but the municipality also encourages residents to keep water in place on properties where it is possible, and in the case of new constructions, this is also required by law. CONE goes to supplement already existing plans and projects in the municipality. (EN), NICE
Innovative and Enhanced Nature-Based Solutions For Sustainable Urban Water Cycle
Horizon 2020 December 2020 (2021-2025)
PP: GUT (EN) | NICE will widen the availability of enhanced nature-based solutions (NBS) to provide circular urban water solutions. The project will provide key knowledge for the design and implementation of NBS, closing urban water loops, mitigating pollution and runoff. NICE will study existing and innovative NBS covering the urban water cycle (wastewater, greywater, river basins, stormwater and combined sewer overflow). High-potential technologies (green walls, vegetated rooftops, rain gardens and hybrid subsurface wetlands) will be studied and enhanced with tailored bioaugmentation strategies, reactive materials and other filling media, novel design and plants, obtaining highly efficient urban water NBS. This approach will involve research, citizens, policy and the economic sector to provide the knowledge-base for the integration of NBS into the real world. NICE provides ground base knowledge for the further implementation of the CONE project in the pilot site in Poland. (EN), "CLIMATICALLY in Wejherowo" own resources, municipality innovative program (EN) | The educational campaign aims at raising the ecological awareness of residents of all ages, encouraging them to change their habits related to environmental and climate protection. The activities are conducted by various municipal units, not only directly related to environmental protection or waste management, but also education and culture. The actions within the framework of the campaign have been implemented since 2021. Some of the activities are carried out for a few months, while others last all year round (e.g. nature lessons in the City Park, ecological classes in the City Library or eco-learning in the Eco Factory). Various workshops are held on protecting hedgehogs, bats, building bird houses, and we have also organised an Environmental Picnic, art competitions and a nature walk with a forester. City residents are encouraged to change their immediate surroundings through a competition for the most beautiful garden or balcony, but also by donating trees and shrubs, encouraging rainwater management on their own property, or reducing the mowing of city lawns. We also promote climate or nature conservation literature to residents at the library. A closed-loop economy is promoted through the handover of a renovated, more than 100-year-old building of a former wood factory, which today houses the Eco Factory. Tasks carried out there include improving the selective collection of municipal waste, encouraging the re-use of items and equipment, increasing knowledge of waste management, and developing pro-environmental attitudes. Of the additional closed-circuit activities, an 'Adopt a Pansy' event was held during the campaign, involving the donation of pansies to residents on the occasion of changing the city's planting to summer, among the other activities. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 844 844.20

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 475 875.36

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 475 875.36. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Infrastructure investments:

I2.1 - Water retention pond in Jászberény - EUR 58 000.00 - country: Magyarország (HU), town: Jászberény , street: Telep street, 726/4, postal_code: 5100, Észak-Alföld (HU32), Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok (HU322)
I2.2 - Sustainable Urban Drainage System in Padova - EUR 113 000.00 - country: Italia (IT), town: Padova, street: Via della Ricerca Scientifica, - , postal_code: 35127, Veneto (ITH3), Padova (ITH36)
I2.3 - Upstream riverbanks reconstruction Majakowski Park - EUR 60 000.00 - country: Polska (PL), town: Wejherowo, street: Plac Jakuba Wejhera , 8 , postal_code: 84200, Pomorskie (PL63), Trójmiejski (PL633)
I2.4 - Rain garden in Kopernika 15 st, Wejherowo - EUR 26 000.00 - country: Polska (PL), town: Wejherowo, street: Kopernika 15 , 15, postal_code: 84200 , Pomorskie (PL63), Trójmiejski (PL633)

Deliverables:

Report on capitalization activities
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by partners
Comparative analysis of available state-of-the-art ICT tools and roadmap for dataset harmonisation
Joint Guidelines for Local Living Labs (ex-ante)
Communication strategy
Ex-post Guidelines for Local Living Labs
Training of trainers: local facilitators of the local co-creation process
CONE toolbox: knowledge transfer and exchange
Establishment of a pilot living lab consortium: setting local working action groups.
Living Lab: testing implementation of NBS in local LLs in a participatory and digitally-driven way
Report on the pilot action implementation
Manual of solutions for the improvement of rainwater management
Establishment of a pilot living lab consortium: setting local working action groups.
Living Lab: testing implementation of NBS in local LLs in a participatory and digitally-driven way
Report on the pilot action implementation
Manual of solutions for the improvement of heat stress mitigation
Establishment of a pilot living lab consortium: setting local working action groups.
Living Lab: testing implementation of NBS in local LLs in a participatory and digitally-driven way
Report on the pilot action implementation
Manual of solutions for the improvement of river basins and embankments management
Report on the study visits
Report on local policy frameworks on NBS and development of 5 "model regions"
Replicability protocol
Joint Strategy for Urban Greening Plans across Central-Europe
Evidence of Innovation Arena Platform

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EuropeanGreenDeal The project contributes to tackling climate and environmental related challenges, to protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts, an urgent global case that knows no borders. Nature-based solutions are encouraged for climate change adaptation. The European Green Deal steps up efforts on climate-proofing, resilience-building, prevention and preparedness. Public and private investments, including in nature-based solutions, are a key component of the transformational change needed to adapt to climate change and help ongoing efforts to limit it. CONE can contribute to the EU Green Deal’s objective to improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations by providing fresh air, clean water, healthy soil and biodiversity.
TerritorialAgenda2030 The project contributes to the quality of governance processes in important cross-cutting principles to increase citizens’ well-being and quality of life in healthy, resilient, and high-quality built environments.
As climate change mitigation and adaptation can bring new development opportunities for places, the project creates the right environment to find a tailor-made response in blue and circular economies, and to safeguard natural and cultural heritage. The project contributes to reaching the objectives of a balanced Europe through encouraging cooperation to respond to global societal challenges and improving working, living and business conditions in all places as well as strengthening socio-economic prosperity, and innovation capacity.
Thanks to its multilevel and multi actors’ approach, the project invites policy makers from all levels to promote polycentric development models that offer a role for all places. It takes action to encourage decision makers at all governance levels to unleash the unique potential of territories with specific geographies and adequately address the constraints of these areas through integrated and cooperative approaches. Besides, it will serve decision makers in cities and towns of all sizes to apply an integrated multilevel governance approach and to strengthen cooperation on long-term place-based strategies and address sustainable functional links between neighbouring areas. It contributes to the objective “healthy environment” fostering an approach for better ecological livelihoods, climate-neutral and resilient towns, cities, and regions, supporting the development of nature-based solutions, land management, and resilience of all places impacted by climate change. The project concentrates on strengthening awareness and empowering local and regional communities.
EUStrategyDanubeRegion CONE can provide an important contribution to PA4- PA5 and PA6 even though activities are not directly aimed at the Danube River (DR). PA4- “Water Quality”: CONE contributes to the achievement of management objectives set out in the Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) like the reduction of nutrient levels in the DR to allow the recovery of the Black Sea ecosystems to conditions prior to the 1960s; CONE’s strategy can contribute to the Delta management Plan, currently under implementation, that includes “to secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species”. PA5 “Environmental Risks” is managed by HU and RO. The focus of the work is to address the challenges of water scarcity and droughts in line with the DRBMP. In the past few years, PA5 contributed to the elaboration of the ICPDR Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2018), supported project elaboration and implementation in the field of drought management and climate change-related spatial planning, disseminated scientific results to anticipate regional and local impacts of climate change through research. Flood risk management is also a significant target of this PA. To achieve a reduction of flood risk events PA5 provides and enhances continuous support to the implementation of the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan. In case these prevention measures are not effective enough, then disasters occur, therefore PA5 supports the assessment of disaster risks in the DR, encouraging actions to promote disaster resilience, preparedness, and response activities. CONE’s strategy can provide a contribution to these actions. CONE can contribute to PA6 “To preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils”. PA6 has also many targets, but the most project relevance is to improve the management of Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas through transnational cooperation and capacity building and to decrease air pollution in the Danube Region.
EUStrategyAdriaticIonianRegion EUSAIR includes Italy and Slovenia.
EUSAIR contributes to the goal of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services and restore them in so far as feasible, by addressing threats to terrestrial biodiversity. CONE has the potential to create synergies with the EUSAIR Flagships 2021-2027 “Protection and enhancement of natural terrestrial habitats and ecosystems” (Pillar 3- Environmental quality). The project, in fact, aims to protect and expand natural habitats and terrestrial ecosystems through the establishment of green corridors.
The Adriatic and Ionian Region is vulnerable to disasters and to the impact of climate change and comprehensive actions to adapt to those circumstances are needed. Enhancing cooperation in this area, through different actions such as conducting adequate comprehensive risk assessment, implementing a disaster risk management policy, as well as developing a regional strategy on adaptation to climate change, will make the Region more resilient to such changes.
EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion Project respond to:
> Sub-objective “Climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management”. It stresses that climate change (CC) increases precipitation and run-off, increasing nutrient inputs to the sea. Project acts for reuse of rainwater, thus preventing run-off and making the water supply more climate resilient.
> PA Bioeconomy, Action 2 “Improving agricultural practices for sustainability and adaptation (e.g., to CC) in a sustainable and resilient growing bioeconomy'' aims e.g. to limit the nutrients released from wastewater. To foster circular bioeconomy on wastewater, and for better adaptation to the different aspects of
CC. Project employs “knowledge exchange, especially peer-to-peer learning, as it has proven to be the most efficient method in adopting new tools or methods” as suggested in Action 2.
> PA Hazards, Action 1 “Prevent pollution and reduce the use of hazardous substances” aims to “develop and implement (non)-regulatory measures and BSR-wide policies to reduce the use and prevent emissions of hazardous substances to the Baltic Sea environment. The policy area supports the development of suitable measures, practical solutions, and policy recommendations for reduction of hazardous substances, from both diffuse and point sources on land”. Project reuse strategies directly contribute to reducing outflows of hazardous substances to the environment.
The project contributes to PA Nutri- Action 2: Reduce nutrient emissions from urban areas and other point sources Objective: Action 2 aims to reduce nutrient emissions from urban areas and other point sources. Several measures are envisaged: support to cross-sectoral activities and measures that reduce discharges to the Sea from point sources, taking CC into account. Develop innovative and NSB to urban nature and water management and scattered sources to reduce nutrient discharges. Improve monitoring and the knowledge base of nutrient flows and loads. Raise awareness and influence consumer behaviour.
EUStrategyAlpineRegion The project contributes to the O3– Ensuring sustainability in the Alps: preserving the Alpine heritage and promoting a sustainable use of natural and cultural resources. One of the main features of the Alpine Region is its outstanding natural and cultural heritage. Natural resources (in particular, clean and abundant water, minerals, a variety of landscapes, and great biodiversity), and strong and diverse cultural life are major assets of this region, however, threatened by climate change. Therefore, joint regional responses are necessary to establish efficient management systems. Synergies could be established with Action Group 6: To preserve and valorise natural resources, including water and cultural resources; and Action Group 8: to improve risk management and to better manage climate change, including major natural risks prevention.
Other Biodiversity strategy: As part of this strategy – in order to bring nature back to cities and reward community action - the Commission called on European towns and cities of at least 20,000 inhabitants to “..develop ambitious Urban Greening Plans'' including “measures to create biodiverse and accessible urban forests, parks, and gardens; urban farms; green roofs and walls; tree-lined streets; urban meadows; and urban hedges.” It stresses the importance of the collaborative process of developing an urban greening plan, including the need for working with citizens and other stakeholders, and for cross-departmental working and integration of the greening plan with other aspects of urban development, from mobility and health, air and water, to energy and climate adaptation.
Other related policies and initiatives are EU Green Capital Award, Green City Accord, Air quality, Circular Economy, Covenant of Mayors, and Adaptation to climate change.
Nature-based solutions research policy: Nature-based solutions support major EU policy priorities, in particular the European Green Deal, biodiversity strategy and climate adaptation strategy, as a way to foster biodiversity and make Europe more climate-resilient.
Other EU Adaptation Strategy– The new strategy sets out how the European Union can adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and become climate resilient by 2050. The project contributes to:
- a “smarter adaptation” that states that actions must be informed by robust data and risk assessment tools available to all. CONE will contribute to Climate-ADAPT platform enhancement with data collected by Interreg CE and made available online.
- a “more systemic adaptation”, since nature-based solutions are one of the 3 cross-cutting priorities with local adaptation actions.
- step up international action on adaptation to climate change.
CONE project’s output will be a strategy that will provide long-term goal-orientation support for municipalities. Starting from piloted Living Lab methods, a replicability protocol will accompany CE municipalities in their journey to prepare and implement Urban Greening Plans.
Other The project contributes to the goal of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them in so far as feasible, by addressing threats to marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
Next to the EU Biodiversity Strategy an additional Prioritised Action Framework (PAF) for Natura 2000 in EU is an important document that provides reliable information about the priority Natura 2000-related needs. It also touches financing and managing needs for biodiversity preservation. This policy framework is particularly important for Slovenia, which has among EU countries the highest biodiversity and is a global hotspot in subterranean biodiversity. More than 38% of its territory is included in the Natura 2000 network, which is challenging for management and monitoring. Therefore, another important document to mention is the PRIORITISED ACTION FRAMEWORK (PAF) FOR NATURA 2000 in SLOVENIA pursuant to Article 8 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive) for the Multiannual Financial Framework period 2021 – 2027.
Other CONE responds to SDG Tasks (posted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) and especially to GOAL 13: Take urgent action to address climate change and its impacts.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP24 in Paris - the Paris Agreement was adopted and came into force in November 2016. It is intended to strengthen global action to halt climate change. All countries that concluded the agreement pledged to work to limit the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. As of April 2018, 175 countries had ratified the Paris Agreement, and 10 developing countries had submitted their national adaptation plans for responding to climate change.
Tasks (posted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development):
13.1 Strengthen adaptive capacity and resilience to climate risks and natural disasters in all countries.
13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and plans.
13.3 Increase education and human and institutional capacity, raise awareness of climate change mitigation, adaptation and the impacts of climate change, and early warning systems for risks.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSALP

EUSALP Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSALP Degree of compliance:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSAIR

EUSAIR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSAIR Degree of compliance:

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Central Europe

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

2025-10-08

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

100 / 100 (100%)

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

1 013 / 1 011 (100.2%)

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CONE- Cities of nature: nature-based-solutions in urban living labs

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

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