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2021 is here! May the year ahead be a source of inspiration for citizens across Europe, and around the world, engaged in the co-creation of healthier, greener and more inclusive cities! Let's hope it's a year for reconnecting face-to-face, a year to #buildbackbetter!
2021 marks the midway point for the URBiNAT project (2018 - 2023), a good moment to take stock, reflect on where we stand in relation to our goals, and recognise how much ground we've already covered. There have been significant achievements including some 22 project deliverables (9 in 2020), dozens of conference presentations, and key milestones, including the activation of Living Labs in each Frontrunner and Follower cities (as planned and on schedule!).
The Local Diagnostic - data collection and analysis in the Living Labs - phase of the project is now complete in Frontrunner cities [report], and under way in Follower cities, allowing us to assert with confidence that the theoretical and methodological foundations of the project are strong. We are on track to achieving to goals we have set for ourselves in terms of the co-selection and implementation of Nature-Based Solutions, and the co-creation of larger Healthy Corridors, in our target intervention areas.
Looking ahead, as we transition to the planning and implementation phases of the project, our focus in Frontrunner cities is going to be on the consolidation of urban plans outlining the main structural and functional features of the Healthy Corridors. Meanwhile, in Follower cities, we shall be working on the replication of data collection and analysis methods as part of the co-diagnostic of intervention areas. At the same time we shall be continuing work on the URBiNAT Catalogue, there are several research papers in the pipeline on the production of papers relating to the theoretical and methodological aspects of the project, and there'll be no letting up of our awareness-raising efforts about the project via the website and related social media.
So things are moving along nicely, but that's not to say we haven't faced significant challenges along the way! Twelve months ago who could have imagined the magnitude of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the lives of citizens worldwide? The project inevitably took a hit as lock down rules across Europe hampered plans to engage with citizens in face-to-face meetings and co-creation workshops. Nonetheless, our teams on the ground were swift to adapt and showed remarkable resourcefulness as they resorted to traditional and various forms of digital communication to reach out to and engage citizens in online project activities, from responding to surveys, to taking part in online meetings, and co-creation workshops. Quite a feat!
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