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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News

Site Visit of the Place de la Cathédrale in Colmar

On 10 June 2026, project partners of LivableCities had the opportunity to learn about the transformative redevelopment of Colmar’s Place de la Cathédrale as part of Deliverable 3.3.1. The visit took place at the invitation of the French partner Afpa.

Jérôme Lecarpentier, Director of Public Spaces at the City of Colmar, guided participants through the project’s journey from initial vision to completed realization. The tour provided a comprehensive overview of the site’s evolution, beginning with an assessment of the former parking area, followed by an in-depth discussion of the renovation’s objectives and inherent challenges, and culminating in a walkthrough of the newly designed “parvis-jardin.”

Along the way, particular attention was given to the selection of plant species, the materials employed, and the integration of landscape design with the surrounding architectural heritage. This incorporation of blue-green infrastructure into the city center contributes to the creation of livable, heritage-sensitive urban spaces that balance ecological sustainability with cultural preservation.

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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