The planting of trees and shrubs has not only created a green oasis in the city but also a living classroom, where children and young people can learn about biodiversity, the impacts of climate change, and the importance of preserving natural ecosystems. Learning in such an environment encourages curiosity, observation, and understanding of natural processes, helping young people develop respect for nature.

As part of the project, we have created a pocket park along the stream bank – the Green Learning Observatory, designed as a space for exploration and observation of nature. Together with a nearby primary school, we organized an outdoor classroom, where pupils used water sensors and portable microscopes to explore water quality and observe microorganisms and plants in their natural habitat. The activity allowed students to experience direct contact with nature and to better understand the importance of protecting aquatic ecosystems.

To encourage residents to explore and appreciate the local environment, we also prepared a brochure about the animals and plants living along the Pekrski Creek. The brochure helps visitors recognize local species and fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

The demo site is thus becoming a living laboratory and an open-air classroom, where science and everyday life meet. This demonstrates that nature-based solutions are not only technical measures but also powerful tools for education, community engagement, and local resilience, helping to guide Maribor towards a greener and more sustainable future.

Regional Development Agency for Podravje – Maribor

We evaluated a set of targeted measures for single senior women. Lectures, workshops and community events – organised around the themes of rain garden maintenance, gardening, and green space maintenance – brought to the localities give an opportunity for senior women to meet, periodically discuss, to share experiences and get support from each other. We found the right framework for our PlaceLab: Budapest18 has an ongoing program for senior citizens, called Senior Academy. We implemented our PlaceLab in its Framework with success.

In February 2025, as the opening presentation of the Senior Academy, we invited Mr Sándor Bardóczi, the Chief Landscape Architect of Budapest – responsible for maintaining, developing, and protecting the capital’s green spaces – to give a lecture. In his presentation, he talked about the positive effects of Nbs on environmental quality and climate change adaptation. He also showed complex green-blue solutions realised in Budapest over recent years, highlighting the importance of rain gardens and rainwater retention. To quote the chief architect: “On a Saturday morning on an empty stomach, talking about rain gardens and water retention in the capital doesn’t seem like a topic that would draw huge crowds. And when you walk into the large hall of a cultural centre and find it completely filled, you wonder whether the focus of public discourse is really well calibrated. Because it really seems that people are genuinely interested in how to retain urban rainwater in a backyard, or municipal or business setting.” (Sándor Bardóczi, Facebook post, February 1, 2025)

The presentation provided an excellent foundation for the four-part training series, which were held in May 2025. Each training session was designed as a half-day program, with a mixed methods to balance gaining knowledge, raising awareness (ecosensitivisation), communicate and highlighting areas where citizen participation can be enhanced.

Participants learned about the basics of nature-based solutions through many international, national, and local examples and their local application possibilities. During our sessions, participants listened to presentations and had the opportunity to engage in discussions with our speakers. Enthusiastic and lively conversations ensued, allowing participants to learn not only from the speakers but also from each other. Each lecture was followed by small group tasks, which provided an opportunity to delve deeper into district environmental and climate issues in practical examples, how to apply what they had heard.

We introduced a large map of BP18 to localise climate-related problems. Participants were asked to identify climate change-related problems specific to their streets. While urban blocks and housing estates struggle with heat islands, in the garden-street areas, topography, pavement coverage, and local interventions (ditch filling, concrete retaining walls) result in flash floods and water damage.

One of the sessions in the series was devoted to visiting rain gardens and green solutions implemented in the district. During the tour, participants assessed how much the solutions presented help to solve the district’s climate and environmental problems (air quality, flash floods, summer temperatures), how aesthetically pleasing they are, how useful they are to the local population, and how they can be considered as models (design, implementation, maintenance) for similar projects. The ranking helped to highlight the success factors of a rain garden or NbS.

Our venue was the Tomory Lajos Museum, where the earliest rain garden was established, which could be visited by the participants repeatedly during the training. At this location, we could show native, easy-to-care-for plant species and bring the importance of soil, the role of mulching, and weeding closer to life.

As a result of the training program, the participants gained knowledge about local environmental issues and NbS. The knowledge about local climate change and environmental issues increased from 4.48 to 7.55, of urban nature-based solutions from 4.33 to 7.5, and of rain gardens from 3.48 to 8.05 (1 to 10 scale). Participants rated the training at 9.75.

The course was organised by the Municipality of Pestszentlőrinc-Pestszentimre, Budapest, within the framework of the UPSURGE project, with the participation of its professional staff and within the framework of the Senior Academy. To broaden the interaction between local stakeholders, other partners were involved, like BURST, Városgazda18, the Lajos Tomory Museum, and a local NGO, the Civil Greeners Association.

Organised as hybrid, the event will bring together policymakers, urban practitioners, researchers, and city leaders to reflect on UPSURGE’s results and discuss how they can support the next generation of nature-based, climate-positive and socially-relevant urban solutions.

What to Expect

During the conference, UPSURGE partners and invited experts will present:

• Innovative approaches to Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) tested in the five UPSURGE demo cities: Belfast, Breda, Budapest, Katowice, and Maribor.
• Best practices for co-creation, community engagement, and multi-level governance.
• Digital tools, decision-support systems, and analytics for planning and monitoring the effectiveness of NBS interventions.
• Scalable models for regenerative urban planning that can be applied across Europe.
• Policy-relevant insights on enabling frameworks and standards for nature-positive city transitions.

The event will also serve to launch the UrbanByNature Platform, a new hub providing advisory and training services to help cities mainstream Nature-Based Solutions into local policies and practices.

Who Should Attend – and Why

This event is designed for:

• City officials and urban planners seeking practical tools and proven approaches to implementing NBS at scale.
• Environmental policymakers and EU-level stakeholders interested in evidence supporting regulatory frameworks for nature-positive transformation.
• Researchers and innovators exploring cutting-edge methods for monitoring, modelling, and evaluating regenerative interventions.
• Civil society organisations and community practitioners involved in co-creation and participatory urban development.
• Urban developers, architects, and landscape designers aiming to integrate NBS into long-term planning and investment strategies.

Participants will gain exclusive insights into UPSURGE’s real-world demonstrations, access ready-to-use tools, and connect with a European network shaping the future of regenerative, climate-resilient cities.

Why Now? – Policy Context

The conference comes at a pivotal moment for EU urban policy. With the European Green Deal, the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and the Nature Restoration Law, cities face rising expectations to deliver systemic, nature-based, and regenerative transformations.

UPSURGE’s final results provide practical, evidence-based pathways to help cities meet these ambitions—bridging the gap between high-level policy goals and on-the-ground implementation.

Be Part of the Conversation

Save the date and join us as we explore how UPSURGE innovations can support greener, healthier, and more resilient cities, and how urban stakeholders can build on these outcomes beyond the project’s completion. Agenda and registration fill follow shortly.

Important information:

• Register before 3^rd February 2026!
• The conference will be held in English.
• No translation will be provided.
• Authorisation to use recordings from the event for promotional purposes – PDF

Registration Form:

Preliminary Agenda

The global movement towards resilient cities is accelerating, with Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)—from green roofs to urban forests—emerging as powerful allies against climate change, pollution, and urban heat. But for municipalities making these vital investments, a critical question remains: how do you prove their worth and ensure they deliver their full, sustainable potential?

The Quick Guide for Monitoring Nature-Based Solutions provides the definitive answer. Developed through the EU UPSURGE project, this essential roadmap equips municipal planners, policymakers, and urban development professionals with the expertise to transition from planting to proving the value of their green infrastructure. It is your key tool for turning green ambition into measurable, scientifically sound results.

A Proven Path to Data-Driven Resilience

This guide cuts through the complexity of impact assessment by offering a clear, actionable methodology for developing robust NbS monitoring systems. It lays out a comprehensive 6-Step Monitoring Strategy that guides users through every stage, starting with the construction of a theory of change and concluding with the strategic dissemination of results for policy impact.

Crucially, the guide champions a collaborative approach. It details how to successfully embed Co-Creation and RACER Principles to involve citizens and stakeholders, ensuring indicators are not just technical, but universally Relevant, Accepted, Credible, Easy to monitor, and Robust.

To jumpstart the process, the guide features a Comprehensive Indicator Catalogue, providing a ready-to-use list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) spanning every critical benefit category: from climate vulnerability, air and water quality, and biodiversity enhancement, to health and wellbeing, social justice, governance, and new economic opportunities.

Real-World Success Stories

Finally, you will find inspiration in the detailed Real-World Inspiration offered by the UPSURGE demonstrator cities. By showcasing the tailored monitoring strategies implemented in Belfast, Breda, Budapest, Katowice, and Maribor, the guide provides practical examples of how diverse NbS projects are being tracked and verified on the ground.

The success of a Nature-Based Solution is dependent on data-driven verification. By leveraging the standardised methodologies and expert insights contained within, your city can ensure its green infrastructure is demonstrably effective, affordable, and durable for generations to come.

Download the Quick Guide today and take the guesswork out of green infrastructure monitoring.