Urban nature: supporting restoration of urban ecosystems, along urban transport networks and in the built environment

Expected Outcome

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Development of approaches, tools and methods, on how and where to restore, increase and maintain urban green space and tree canopy cover to achieve the greatest positive impacts - on climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience, biodiversity, soil, air and water quality, quality of life, and human health.
• Uptake and deployment of solutions to map, restore, increase and maintain urban green space and tree canopy cover, via pilot sites in lead cities, including along urban transport networks[1].
• Monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the environmental, economic, social and health impacts of the solutions deployed in pilot sites, including co-benefits and trade-offs.
• Dissemination of results to follower cities and relevant target groups in other countries and cities.

Scope

To address the expected outcomes, individual projects will be required to address all the following aspects, with at least three in each pilot site:

• Develop and test approaches, tools and methods to understand how different patterns of urban green space and tree canopy cover impact on local temperature regulation / heat island effect, biodiversity, water scarcity, stormwater and landslide management, local air quality; and how changing / increasing the distribution / quantity / quality / connectivity of urban green space and tree canopy cover could help build more resilient and biodiverse urban ecosystems.
• Identify obstacles and barriers limiting the development of urban green spaces and tree planting / maintenance, including governance aspects, interface issues between green structures and underground infrastructure (underground pipes, etc.) and overall root growth and survival, water scarcity and the shortage of supplies of native tree seedlings. Develop innovative solutions that address such barriers and ensure the sustainability of urban green spaces and trees.
• Develop innovative measures and practices to increase urban green space and tree canopy cover, with consideration of what types of trees or other plants are best suited to enhancing local biodiversity, prioritizing native species, supporting climate mitigation and adaptation, reducing air pollution, improving human health and quality of life while ensuring connectivity to avoid isolated or fragmented solutions.
• Explore multifunctional solutions, addressing infrastructure and urban planning that can bring co-benefits on aspects such as managing stormwater, enhancing biodiversity, providing recreational spaces, sheltering from extreme weather, reducing inequitable access to nature, improving air quality, reducing noise, improving accessibility.

Projects are required to address all of the following aspects:

• deploy innovative measures and practices to increase urban green spaces and/or tree canopy cover in at least two pilot sites in two lead cities, including at least one pilot site along an urban transport network or in the built environment.
• involve local communities, including disadvantaged groups, and local stakeholders, including public and private land and property owners, in the design and development of these measures and practices
• monitor, evaluate and assess the environmental, economic, social and health impacts of the measures taken in the pilot sites[2].
• outline plans for ensuring the sustainability and legacy of the efforts beyond the project's duration.

Each project funded under this topic must involve entities[3] from at least four cities, each from a different Member State or Associated Country. At least one of the four cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-neutral and Smart Cities[4] and at least one must be a signatory to the Adaptation Mission Charter[5]. Pilot sites should be created in at least two lead cities, and structured engagement should take place with at least two follower cities to share best practices. Proposals should review, build on and connect to other relevant projects funded by Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020 and LIFE, to avoid overlaps or contradicting conclusions[6].

To increase impact and coherence, proposals should include a mechanism and the resources to establish operational links and collaboration/coordination with the ‘Climate-Neutral Smart cities’ Mission platform, the Adaptation Mission Implementation Platform[7] and the 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact'. Collaboration with these Platforms is essential, and projects must ensure that appropriate provisions for activities and resources aimed at enforcing this collaboration are included in the work plan of the proposal.

The selected projects will engage in clustering activities with other relevant projects supported under the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities and Climate Adaption Missions as well as the New European Bauhaus Facility to promote synergies and complementarities. Synergies should also be explored and, as appropriate, pursued with other relevant initiatives, such as the Green City Accord, European Green Capital / Leaf Awards, LIFE projects, European Urban Initiative and the Covenant of Mayors.

This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment[8]. It also supports the implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

[1] Urban transport networks can include streets, roads, car parks, public transport systems, pavements, waterways and other non-motorized transport infrastructure.

[2] Environmental impacts should include at least: air-water-soil quality, ambient temperature, biodiversity, noise. Economic impacts should include at least: energy costs, maintenance costs, impact on local businesses, job creation. Social impacts should include at least citizen perception, impacts on disadvantaged groups, public health, personal safety.

[3] For example competent authorities for environment, transport, planning or housing.

[4] The EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities aims to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 and ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050. On 28 April 2022, the Commission announced the 100 EU cities that will participate in the Mission. In addition, 12 cities have been selected from countries associated or expected to be associated the Horizon Europe programme.

[5] See the list of Charter Signatories https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/mission/the-mission/regions-and-local-authorities

[6] Including inter alia projects under the call HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01-01 Urban greening and re-naturing for urban regeneration, resilience and climate neutrality, and LIFE VEG-GAP on urban vegetation, heat island effect and biogenic ozone precursors LIFE18-PRE-IT-003)) and LIFE SIRIUS ( LIFE 3.0 - LIFE21-GIE-EL-LIFE-SIRIUS/101074365.

[7] Initially established by MIP4Adapt and extended under the contract CINEA/2025/OP/0014

[8] COM(2023) 457 final and SWD(2023) 260 final