Introduction to the Project

The UNaLab Consortium is comprised of 28 partners from 10 cities across Europe and beyond, including municipalities, research, business and industry. The UNaLab partner cities are committed to address climate- and water-related urban challenges with an innovative and citizen-driven approach. The UNaLab cities aim to develop smarter, more inclusive, more resilient and increasingly sustainable societies through innovative nature-based solutions.

Project Objectives

The three front-runner cities - Eindhoven, Tampere and Genova - are through the establishment of Urban Living Lab (ULL) demonstration areas experimenting, demonstrating and evaluating a range of different nature-based solutions (NBS) targeting climate change mitigation and adaptation along with the sustainable management of water resources. These solutions have been co-created with and for local stakeholders and citizens.

The front-runner cities actively collaborate and share their experiences with the five European follower cities - Stavanger, Prague, Castellón, Cannes and Başakşehir - and support them in their development of individual NBS roadmaps, which is done through a co-creative approach. The non-European follower cities and the observers actively learn from the European NBS approach, which will enable the creation of a global NBS marketplace.

The project results will enable the development of a European NBS reference framework on benefits, cost-effectiveness, economic viability and replicability of nature-based solutions.

ERRIN's Role

ERRIN is responsible for the UNaLab project's communication and dissemination activities. This includes managing the project's website and social media channels; developing promotional material and publications; organising and participating in events; engaging in promotional activities; stakeholder engagement; and fostering replication.

The project will produce a wide range of information, best practices, tools and guidelines which will be gathered in a Replication Framework and which will guide cities across Europe and beyond in developing and implementing their own co-created nature-based solutions. ERRIN's role is to contribute to the general discussions around the potential of nature-based solutions and to disseminate the resources deriving from the project towards relevant stakeholder groups in an innovative and effective way.

  • Heidi Johansson
  • Project Manager
  • Ryan Titley
  • Director of Projects

ERRIN Members

Benefit & Links

An important objective of the UNaLab project is to raise awareness of nature-based solutions and to promote and foster the uptake of these innovative solutions in cities beyond the project. The project is generating a wide range of information, best practices, guidelines and tools to allow cities to learn from the work that has been done within UNaLab, and to enable them to plan and implement their own nature-based solutions.

ERRIN members can benefit both by taking part of the key outcomes and results of the UNaLab project, which continuously are disseminated towards the membership through ERRIN’s communication channels, as well as by participating in the project’s events and activities.

Latest Updates

Animated city
  • By Heidi Johansson

NBS Infographic

The UNaLab NBS infographic presents how your city can achieve the European Green Deal with nature-based solutions. You can also learn about the impacts that NBS will have on your city and your citizens.

Trees
  • By Heidi Johansson

UNaLab Booklet

This booklet gathers the experiences, key learnings and best practices from the Horizon 2020 UNaLab project on how to plan, develop and implement nature-based solutions in an urban setting together with local stakeholders and citizens.

Table
  • By Heidi Johansson

Business Models and Financing Strategies for Nature-based Solutions

This report provides city planners with examples of business models for selected NBS, as well as potential financing strategies that could support NBS implementation and operation efforts. 

Greenways
  • By Teresa Vio

OURWAY Final Conference “Greenways, a must to sustainable tourism’

Save the date for the OUR WAY Final Conference 'Greenways, a must to sustainable tourism’ that will be held on 28th September 2022, at the European Committee of the Regions, in Brussels.

Park
  • By Heidi Johansson

Monitoring & Evaluation of Nature-based Solutions

The UNaLab project, in which ERRIN is a partner, is co-organising a webinar on monitoring and evaluation of nature-based solutions (NBS). The webinar aims to create an understanding of NBS impact assessment by presenting the work carried out in the European Taskforce for NBS Impact Assessment.

Evenet image
  • By Heidi Johansson

Nature-based solutions for circular water systems

The UNaLab project, in which ERRIN is a partner, is organising a webinar on nature-based solutions for circular water systems on 24 March 2021, between 10:00-11:30 CET.