The UPSURGE project has entered its final project year and is continuously progressing its work towards a new development model for cities centered on Nature-based Solutions (NBS) for renaturing urban space. Through the EU Regenerative Urban Lighthouse it will offer guided support on how to solve the multitude of problems faced by cities.
On April 8–9, 2025, all the Partners participated in the #UPSURGE Project Group Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which was a good time to verify the achievements of all work packages and reflect on the expected project’s results. During the two-day meeting, all tasks and deliverables were discussed, showcasing what has already been achieved, while also identifying challenges and clarifying uncertainties. Partners actively engaged in discussions and took part in a workshop focused on the exchange of experiences from the Place Labs in five demonstration cities.
On the first day, all pillars of the European Regenerative Urban Lighthouse and the activities of the Urban Living Labs were thoroughly discussed. The current status of the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) in Belfast, Breda, Budapest, Katowice, and Maribor was also presented. Later, all participants took part in a site visit to observe the implementation of public and private rain gardens in Budapest’s 18th district.
The second day began with a discussion on project management and the status of tasks related to communication and dissemination of the project’s achievements and results. Other work packages were also analysed, including the use of measurement sensors, digitalization within the project, mobile applications, as well as various tools developed under the project that are intended to support the regenerative transformation of cities.
Several fruitful discussions and highly productive workshops moved the project activities and expectations forward. We are now more than sure how much more work is ahead of us, so full of energy we will face the final stage of our project. We would like to thank our Budapest Partners BURST and BP18 for your excellent organisation and extraordinary hospitality. It was a great pleasure for all of us to see by ourselves the effect of rain gardens’ implementation in a beautiful city space of Budapest.
