Together with the INTERLACE project partners, we took part in a two-day (11-12 May 2023) conference entitled “Unlocking the potential of underutilized urban areas”.
At the conference, we had the opportunity to learn about the outcomes of the INTERLACE project achieved so far and listen to the lectures about good practices in urban greenery management, including those used in the post-industrial city of Chemnitz. A particularly inspiring lecture – about the Ruhr metropolis – was presented by Anne Budinger. Anne Budinger presented a particularly inspiring presentation about the Ruhr Metropolis. This industrial district, rich in coal, rock salt, zinc and lead ores, has the largest post-industrial park in the world. Interestingly, in the area of 33 municipalities of the Ruhr Metropolis, over 360 square kilometers of land are protected for their natural values. Other areas, including post-mining soil heaps, are subject to renaturation with the use of vegetation resistant to harsh habitat conditions. As a result, the region has gained significant space for recreational development and a hilly landscape unusual for this lowland area, which is especially attractive to downhill enthusiasts.
On the first day of the conference, we learned about the best blue-green infrastructure practices, and during the workshops, we considered the problems faced by city managers in Europe and Latin America. The challenges for the city of Kraków – presented by the ToBeLawn team – were also discussed. It has been concluded that each city will have to deal with the effects of climate change in its own way, and its fate will depend not only on its location, natural and landscape conditions but also on the actions taken by its residents.
The ToBeLawn team submitted a letter of support, under which the Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences joined the CITIES TALK NATURE community and committed to promoting nature-based solutions within its area.
On the second day of the conference, we explored Chemnitz using the Loquiz app. In the urban game, we had to fulfill different tasks to combat the effects of climate change by designing a range of solutions based on the best blue-green infrastructure practices. We spent our break and lunch on a green roof covered with trees and herbaceous vegetation. A visit to the Saatgutgarten community garden, which aims to protect urban biodiversity, was a truly unique experience.
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