LivableCities

In LivableCities, 6 cities in North-West Europe (NWE) and partners from key sectors of society are working together to address common territorial challenges caused by unsustainable urban development: biodiversity loss, air pollution and climate vulnerability. Excessive land artificialisation has reduced green spaces, altered soil functions, destroyed habitats, intensified urban heat islands, limited rainwater infiltration and degraded air quality.

LivableCities therefore aims to create, expand and connect BGI (blue and green infrastructure) to integrate these challenging areas into BGI networks, restore biodiversity, improve air quality and strengthen climate resilience.

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The objectives of the project

  • Promoting blue and green infrastructure (BGI) and its connectivity
  • Improving biodiversity, air quality and climate resilience
  • Transforming “challenging areas” and (re)connecting them to wider BGI networks in the NWE area

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LivableCities: integrating blue-green infrastructures (BGI) for livable and sustainable cities
The project links policy, planning, practice and capacity building: cities jointly adopt a BGI Strategy (with common goals) and a common BGI planning framework.

3 Pilot Actions:

  • Creating city-wide blue-green (BGI) networks
  • Blue-green spaces and streets
  • Micro-habitats

3 solutions:

  • A LivableCities-BGI Nexus Approach for the connection of BGI networks
  • A LivableCities Intervention Toolkit for neighbourhood-level BGI Patches
  • Modular LivableCities Typologies for BGI-Plug-ins on the micro level

Joint training courses will strengthen the institutional capacities of researchers, administrations, planners, decision-makers, professionals, citizens and civil society.

Partners collaborate on a transnational scale, contributing expertise in BGI and policy, planning, biodiversity, air quality, climate adaptation and communication.

 

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IZES’ Role

IZES is the lead partner of LivableCities and involved in all work packages of the project. Amongst other tasks, it facilitates the development of the Joint LivableCities BGI Strategy and Action Planning Framework through transnational Planning Labs, analyses institutional frameworks, and gives recommendations for BGI integration at all governance levels. IZES further supports cities in planning, implementing, and evaluating pilot actions, promotes networking and knowledge exchange, and delivers capacity-building for municipal staff, SMEs, and academia.

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Funding

The LivableCities project has been selected as part of the North-West Europe Interreg Programme 2021-2027, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

  • Total project budget: €8 247 804
  • ERDF funds (60%):   €4 948 682

 

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Project partners

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Duration:
11/2025 – 06/2029
Contact:
Mike Speck
Dr. Ulrike Schinkel
Julianna Leibold
Department:
Infrastruktur & Kommunalentwicklung