NICHES represented at the Urban Transitions 2024 Conference

The NICHES project participated in the Urban Transitions 2024 Conference, held from November 5–7 in Sitges, Spain. The event brought together experts in urban and transport planning, architecture, environmental health, climate change, and public governance to address the challenges of creating healthier and more sustainable cities.

NICHES was featured in Session 24: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Water Challenges - A Social-Ecological-Technological Pathway, led by project coordinator Dr Ulf Stein of the Ecologic Institute in Berlin, alongside other project partners Johannes Langemayer, Max Lopez-Maciel and Anna Puig from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Dr Ulf Stein presenting the NICHES project.

The session included four presentations, each focusing on different aspects of the NICHES project. Topics covered included the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) into urban water management systems, the governance and policy frameworks needed to support their implementation, the ecological and environmental benefits of NbS, and strategies for engaging communities to ensure the success and acceptance of these solutions. Together, the presentations provided a comprehensive overview of how NbS can address urban water challenges through a multidisciplinary social-ecological-technological approach.

Through its participation, NICHES reinforced the importance of integrating NbS into urban planning as a key strategy for building resilient and sustainable urban environments.