GreenEsteem

10/08/2026

🎓 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹! 🌿
How can we work together with the people who live there to make cities and regions more climate-resilient?

Starting this fall, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 focused on 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (NBS).

Across 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀, we’ll explore different dimensions of participation and collaboration:

🤝 𝗡𝗕𝗦 𝗖𝗼-𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — planning together, implementing together.
💬 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — creating accessible ways for people to engage.
🌱 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 — strengthening civil society and bottom-up engagement.
🏛️ 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — from planning and funding to implementation and evaluation.
🔬 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 — connecting research, practice, policy, and communities across sectors.

🌍 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮, 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱:

🇦🇹 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮 - Klimabündnis Österreich
🇧🇬 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 - University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy and Екипът на София
🇵🇱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 - Wydział Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM and Konin Invest Park

Whether you’re in government, civil society, research, or business, these workshops are open to anyone who wants to learn, exchange experiences, and help shape more participatory and climate-resilient nature-based solutions.

📅 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 - 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱!

🌐 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗠 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀, 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: www.greenesteem.eu

29/07/2026

🧩 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 - they all speak different languages, and yet, in the end, everyone needs to work together so that climate solutions can truly work🌱

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁?

Because each group brings something unique to the table:

📊 Researchers provide data and methods.
🏛️ Local governments understand local needs and on-the-ground conditions.
💼 Businesses contribute resources and implementation expertise.
🏡 Citizens know best what actually works - and what doesn't - in their daily lives and neighbourhoods. 🤝

If any of these perspectives is missing, solutions often end up out of touch with reality. It’s only through dialogue among all stakeholders that knowledge is transformed into something that takes root in everyday life and gains widespread support.

🧑‍🎓 This is exactly what our project partner Climate Alliance Austria Klimabündnis Österreich is currently working on. The goal is to develop training modules and workshops that bring together research, government, civil society, and the business sector. These initiatives create spaces where everyone can learn from one another, across their respective fields.

👀𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱!

Learn more about the project: 👉 www.greenesteem.eu

24/07/2026

📻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲?

A month ago, Hester Gartrell from Team Sofia (Екипът на София) joined Bulgarian National Radio - Radio Sofia to discuss why citizen consultations matter and how local voices can shape the future of public spaces.

🌅 The lake has stood empty for more than 40 years. While the park is a much-loved green space, the lakes remain an untapped opportunity.

🧩 As part of the GreenEsteem project, we are continuing the conversation this summer through the co-design phase, working with the people who use the park every day to help imagine its future together.

🎧 Listen to the full interview (in Bulgarian): 👉 https://lnkd.in/dTzjVS9h

24/07/2026

🧩 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀?

In Sofia, the GreenEsteem Living Lab led by our partner Екипът на София is bringing the community into the heart of decision-making to co-design the future of Park Lebeda. Through interactive workshops, virtual reality, and collaborative discussions, residents are shaping Nature-Based Solutions that reflect local needs, history, and aspirations.

From restoring a forgotten lake to creating a more inclusive, greener public space, this is citizen engagement in action.

👉 Read the full story and discover how co-design is helping transform urban spaces: https://www.greenesteem.eu/2026/07/22/citizen-engagement-and-collaborative-design-in-sofia

Sofia, Bulgaria, is a city with a wealth of parks and green spaces in residential neighbourhoods. However, despite an existing green infrastructure, many green spaces are not well maintained with monuments and facilities frequently in a state of disrepair. GreenEsteem’s Living Lab in Sofia brings ...

15/07/2026

🌡️𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁.
Heatwaves, intense rainfall, flooding, and drought are no longer isolated events - they're reshaping urban life across Europe.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀? 🌿 Nature-based Solutions can help cities become cooler, more resilient, and more liveable.

𝗛𝗼𝘄? By:
🌳 Cooling streets with urban trees and green spaces
💧 Capturing and storing rainwater through sponge city approaches
🌱 Reducing flood and drought risks while supporting biodiversity
🤝 Creating healthier, more attractive places for people to live and work

Nature isn't just part of the solution, it's essential urban infrastructure!

📖 Read our latest blog to discover how
can help cities prepare for a more resilient future. 👉 https://www.greenesteem.eu/2026/07/01/when-extremes-become-the-rule/

24/06/2026

📢 Excited to share that our partner 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘆 presented the GreenEsteem project at the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, organised by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds and WWF Bulgaria.

The event united experts, policymakers, and civil society representatives to discuss the development of an ambitious and effective National Nature Restoration Plan for Bulgaria.

🌿 In the Urban Ecosystems panel, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angel Burov from the Department of Urban Planning at UACEG presented early findings from our ongoing research:

🔹 The importance of co-creative approaches in designing and restoring urban ecosystems
🔹 The need to adapt Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to the diverse needs of urban communities
🔹 How improved access to nature can support well-being, resilience, and future NBS investments
🔹 Why these perspectives should be integrated into Bulgaria’s future Nature Restoration Plan

💬 GreenEsteem’s approach sparked valuable discussions, highlighting the role of research, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement in shaping effective nature restoration policies.

Find out more about the conference: 👉 https://bspb.org/en/first-nrl-conference

16/06/2026

🌳 🏙️ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 🤝

Recently in Sofia, representatives from academia, public institutions, civil society and business came together to discuss how can help address urban challenges such as climate resilience, air quality, heat stress and wellbeing.

📋 𝗔 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆?

🔹 Better access to local data, knowledge and examples of successful NBS projects
🔹 Stronger support structures and policy frameworks
🔹 Improved knowledge sharing and reporting practices
🔹 Closer cooperation between different sectors and communities

The insights gathered will help strengthen future capacity-building activities and support more effective implementation of Nature-Based Solutions in EU cities.

👉 Read more about the workshop outcomes in our blog article:
https://www.greenesteem.eu/2026/06/15/conversation-and-collaboration-bringing-together-champions-of-nature-based-solutions-in-sofia-bulgaria/

Wydział Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM | SYNYO GmbH | Екипът на София | Klimabündnis Österreich

11/06/2026

🌍 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸!

The consortium gathered with partners from Poland, Bulgaria, and Austria to review the first 8 months of progress and shape the next steps for collaborative Nature-Based Solutions in urban environments. 🌱

So far, the project has:
✅ Reviewed 𝟭𝟱𝟬+ 𝗡𝗕𝗦 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 and knowledge sources across Europe;
✅ Identified around 𝟮𝟬 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀;
✅ Engaged 𝟱𝟬+ 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 through workshops in Sofia and Konin;
✅ Strong progress in the 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 focused on participatory urban planning and community-driven solutions.

We were also inspired by local stakeholders, guest speakers, and the visit to the Sofia Living Lab, showcasing how community engagement can help shape greener and more resilient cities.

🔜 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘂𝗽: co-design workshops, training activities, and collaborative action planning!

👉 Read the full blog article to learn more about the meeting outcomes, workshop findings, and next steps: https://shorturl.at/2HQjd

A big thank you to our hosts at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy and Sofia Municipality for the warm welcome and hospitality in Sofia.

Wydział Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM | SYNYO GmbH | Екипът на София | Klimabündnis Österreich

11/06/2026

📝 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 ’s 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼-𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 are already highlighting the importance of citizen participation, cross-sector collaboration, and practical knowledge-sharing in shaping more sustainable urban transformations.

🗣️ Hosted by project partners 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 .konin and 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗰𝘇 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘇𝗻𝗮𝗻 .poznan, 29 local stakeholders from public institutions, academia, businesses, NGOs, and local communities came together to:
✅ Co-evaluate existing Nature-Based Solutions practices
✅ Identify challenges and barriers in urban project implementation
✅ Explore opportunities for greener and more inclusive public spaces
✅ Discuss long-term sustainability and maintenance of urban interventions

The gathered inputs, experiences, and recommendations are now being analysed and consolidated within the broader GreenEsteem project framework. These findings will directly inform the next phase of the project: 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼-𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗮, where stakeholders will collaboratively shape actionable and locally adapted Nature-Based Solutions.

👉 Read the full blog article to learn more about the workshop findings and next project steps:

Wydział Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM | SYNYO GmbH | Екипът на София | Klimabündnis Österreich

Urban spaces are constantly evolving, but making sure these transformations meet local environmental, societal, and economic needs requires actionable and shared knowledge. One of the project’s key objectives is to co-create, co-evaluate, and co-design sustainable Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) thro...

11/06/2026

🌐 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁!

📍 In May 2026, , 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗩𝗶𝗘𝗪, 𝗖𝗢-𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘, and 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗦 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 met in Brussels to deepen the collaboration and exchange experiences. We were also delighted to welcome 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 and 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗘 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 to the growing network and to explore a shared challenge:

🔍 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲?

Through dialogue, training, and collaboration, participants exchanged experiences on , , and innovation.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀? A common ambition to strengthen the societal impact of research, empower citizens in innovation processes, and build collaborative ecosystems that turn knowledge into action.

👉 🔗 Read more about the Brussels meeting and our shared vision for impact:

Wydział Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM | SYNYO GmbH | Екипът на София | Klimabündnis Österreich

On 7–8 May 2026, sister projects ERIS, MEDViEW, KALEIDOS, BEAGLE, and GreenEsteem funded under Horizon Europe came together in Brussels for two intensive days of dialogue, training, and collaboration focused on one increasingly important question: how can research and innovation create real societ...