City-centered approach to catalyze nature-based solutions through the EU Regenerative Urban Lighthouse for pollution alleviation and regenerative development

Project Information

Upsurge

Grant agreement ID: 101003818

DOI

10.3030/101003818

Project closed

EC signature date 18 May 2021

Start date 1 September 2021

End date 28 February 2026

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 9 703 462,50

EU contribution

€ 9 320 400,00

Coordinated by

E-ZAVOD, ZAVOD ZA PROJEKTNO SVETOVANJE, RAZISKOVANJE IN RAZVOJ CELOVITIH RESITEV
Slovenia

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Upsurge (City-centered approach to catalyze nature-based solutions through the EU Regenerative Urban Lighthouse for pollution alleviation and regenerative development)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Urban ecosystems present an extremely complex set of interdependent problems, air pollution, ambient pollution, and carbon-related issues, ranging from GHG emissions to carbon shortages in soil. Mentioned problems should be addressed interactively, mutually and innovatively. Project Upsurge sees the opportunity of tackling urban challenges by using NBS solutions.

The Upsurge is considering all these aspects and is providing evidence-based targeted responses that will enable EU cities to transition into a more regenerative future. At its core, Upsurge is presenting the European Regenerative Urban Lighthouse, which will enable cities to unlock their regenerative potential and provide them with knowledge and guidance in regenerative transition. Supported by an innovative continuous self-check progress mechanism (Regenerative Index) and by the Clearing House as a knowledge nerve centre.

The project will demonstrate technical excellence through a multimodal adaptable sensing system, and integrated, integrative digitalisation environment. Data will be collected through five real-life demonstrations, showcasing the viability, feasibility, and ability to implement proposed technical solutions in demo cities.

The knowledge core of Upsurge is to introduce the quintuple helix verification model, bringing together all relevant factors and stakeholders, affecting the implementation of NBS. The Quintuple helix approach will truly enable the assessment and exploration of complementary beneficial effects provided by project solutions.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Project Upsurge bridges the gap between the existing knowledge base on Nature-Based-Solutions and their step-by-step practical implementation for the regenerative development of cities focusing on air pollution alleviation and climate neutrality. The project activities are carried out through 7 technical work packages, which are illustrated in the attached figure.

Within the overall NBS assessment (WP 2) the working team have provided tools for supporting the application of fit-for-purpose (e.g. pollutant-specific) or fit-for-client NBS solutions. Among them, Key Performance Indicators have been developed for assessment of the impact of specific NBS in ecologic, economic, social, health and regenerative perspectives for urban areas. A set of 52 KPIs has been proposed based on the results of the review of other projects concerning various aspects of NBS. The matchmaking matrix is the main output of WP 2 and its objective is to select the optimal NBS depending on the challenges of the city. This tool will be adapted in WP 4 dedicated to digital services.

In the first reporting period within WP 3 dedicated to environmental verification with multimodal sensing, the sensing system framework has been defined based on the KPIs co-created by the partnership in WP 2. The sensing system has created an implementation guideline for demonstration cities and individual sensing plans.

The definition, design and first implementation of several key components for the Upsurge platform were achieved in WP 4 in this period. This includes services related to data integration and validation but also interaction with blockchains where readings and outputs from the project can be immutably stored in the chain. These implemented services are provided for use through an application programming interface.

Through the NBS demonstration work package (WP 5) and more informal communication channels partners have continued to support the cities to implement the 5 NBS demonstrations located in different environments across Europe. The implementation results from 5 real-life NBS demonstrations will be used for the simulation of 7 partner cities: Belfast, Breda, Budapest, Maribor, Katowice (demonstration cities) and Prato, Patras (follower cities).

QUB is supporting the demonstration cities and has visited 5 demonstration sites. Partners have helped cities with the co-creation engagement strategy and activities and in supporting demo cities with complementary engagement activities through the implementation of Place labs and with the implementation of NBS in demo cities.

In WP 7 partners have developed a first draft concept of the Lighthouse framework and components and started conceptualisation of integrating the consultancy service into ICLEI’s portfolio of services for its member cities. ICLEI contributed to the development of the list of 20 NBS projects to be recruited for the NBS Clustering Network most relevant to air quality and carbon neutrality.

UPSURGE consortium is comprised of 23 project partners and is presented in the attached figure.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

UPSURGE is the response to the challenges faced by cities in their efforts to decrease the impacts of urban existence on climate change, mitigate air pollution and its health effects and reduce climate change stressors. To help European cities enter the regenerative transition pathway, UPSURGE will provide an EU Urban Regenerative Lighthouse to serve as a reference framework and a reference network to accelerate, transfer and upscale the use of NBS and mainstream them into the agenda of urban policies through co-creation and co-design processes with citizens and other stakeholders.

The project impact is focused on:
• advancing the UPSURGE mission, increasing awareness and engagement in project activities from the side of the stakeholders and key target groups through the development and deployment of an EFFICIENT OUTREACH STRATEGY that will deliver consistent messages about UPSURGE, its values and results to ensure the sustainability of project impacts.
• Providing ADEQUATE COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND CHANNELS to ensure ongoing interest, high participation rate, awareness and active involvement of all target groups representative for the Quintuple helix approach (e.g. research and academia, decision/policymakers, business environment/investors, citizens/general public and other relevant stakeholders e.g. regulatory, standardisation bodies) (WP 8)
• facilitating the UPTAKE AND REPLICATION OF PROJECT RESULTS (WP 7) including commercial exploitation of the project results


UPSURGE will provide fit for problem NBS together with supportive digital, and governance solutions for urban space regeneration deployed and tested in 5 real-life demo cities in Europe through the following exploitable tools:
1. Institutionalised NBS Consultancy
2. Regenerative Development Clearinghouse
3. Digital NBS Node
4. NBS Clustering Network

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