The UPSURGE team in Belfast held its first co-design stakeholder engagement workshop with stakeholders from the Quintuple Helix, including local government, academics, residents, businesses, and several social/environmental action groups to develop re-naturing strategies for the city.

Mixed groups of stakeholders looked at three scales; city, neighbourhood, and demonstration site, to consider current perceptions of nature, existing routes, important stakeholders and potential nature-based solutions (NBS).

From community gardens to green mobility corridors, a new ‘water culture’ and spontaneous rewilding – there was no shortage of ideas to re-nature Belfast.

The next co-design workshop takes place in late May and will focus on determining specific NBS insertions at the city and site scales as well as reach out to include stakeholders missed at the first workshop.