NeuroLandscape in Cork: GreenInCities Second Consortium Meeting

The second day of the GreenInCities consortium meeting was another whirlwind of activity, featuring a packed but highly productive agenda. The morning began with a co-creation Theory of Change (TOC) workshop, organised by University College Cork and Multicriteria Group (Mcrit). This session encouraged the cities and stakeholders to work together on aligning local challenges, goals, and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to achieve impactful outcomes tailored to each city's distinct environmental and social context.

The TOC workshop highlighted the diverse range of challenges cities face. These include combating urban heat islands to restoring degraded green spaces. By bringing together local priorities with global environmental objectives, cities can identify strategies to address these pressing issues.

One of the workshop's pivotal outcomes was the development of a co-production framework, focusing on engaging citizens and stakeholders in implementing and managing Nature-based Solutions. The inclusive approach prioritizes the involvement of communites most impacted by climate change and pollution, empowering them to actively shape and maintain relevant solutions to their local context. Engaging local stakeholders also contributes to building stronger, more resilient, and sustainable urban greening initiatives.

The next workshop, led by  consortium partner LAND, focused on identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the proposed solutions and interventions. KPIs are used widely for tracking progress, refining strategies, leading decision-making, and ensuring that actions, in this case Nature-based Solutions, deliver desired results. For the cities participating in the GreenInCities project, KPIs ensure there is a solid foundation for evidence-based initiatives, and help decision-makers prioritize interventions and allocate resources effectively and efficiently.

LAND guided the city representatives to conduct self-assessments, helping them identify gaps in their local governance structures, policy implementation, and potential environmental data unreliability. This reflection process ensured cities were better positioned to make informed decisions and select tools from the GIC Toolbox to address their unique challenges.

The GIC toolbox offers solutions designed to integrate the New European Bauhaus pillars into local contexts such as the digital mapping tools and community engagement platforms. By adopting these tools, cities can create inclusive, health-promoting, and sustainable urban environments.

The day’s final workshop, led by Ideas for Change, focused on enhancing the project’s communication strategies. During the workshop, partners stepped into the role of communication managers, working in teams to identify key milestones to promote throughout the project’s duration. The Ideas for Change team also conducted interviews with partners, including NeuroLandscape’s Dr. Theofrastos Mantadelis.  Dr. Theofrastos Mantadelis discussed NeuroLandscape’s innovative tools like the Contemplative Landscape Model (CLM), NUA, and the Mental Health Digital Twin, which provide insights into how carefully curated urban design can improve well-being by assessing the impact of green spaces on mental health and predicting outcomes of design interventions.