Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GO GREEN ROUTES (GO GREEN: Resilient Optimal Urban natural, Technological and Environmental Solutions)
Reporting period: 2020-09-01 to 2022-02-28
GoGreenRoutes has sown the seeds for innovation, co-creation, action, and innovation in the Cultivating Cities. Notably, among the deliverables are our advances in our learning ecosystem, the Academy Cluster, to propagate learning across the large-scale consortium and beyond. Mentoring, online and in person training events and peer learning have advanced the knowledge across the consortium in terms of novel inclusive methodologies to be upscaled in the next reporting period. Activities on the ground in the cities, although limited, have been influential in bridging the gap between citizen and municipality ambitions.
The projects presence both online and across the wider NBS community is substantial (e.g. clustered projects, NBS community and task forces), with our kick-off meeting including MEPs (Sean Kelly, and Ciaran Cuffe), city experts (e.g. Miss Maria Yeroyanni) and advisory board members of distinction (e.g. Alice Charles WEF). Our events have had the input of local citizens, NGO’s and ambassadors expanding our sphere of influence beyond the cities in our project. This has been supported by the significant effort was invested to the development and implementation of a consistent and recognisable project identity. Dissemination and communication activities including training has ensured our key scientific outputs (e.g. Lancet Planetary Health) are amplified across multiple channels.
The projects presence both online and across the wider NBS community is substantial (e.g. clustered projects, NBS community and task forces), with our kick-off meeting including MEPs (Sean Kelly, and Ciaran Cuffe), city experts (e.g. Miss Maria Yeroyanni) and advisory board members of distinction (e.g. Alice Charles WEF). Our events have had the input of local citizens, NGO’s and ambassadors expanding our sphere of influence beyond the cities in our project. This has been supported by the significant effort was invested to the development and implementation of a consistent and recognisable project identity. Dissemination and communication activities including training has ensured our key scientific outputs (e.g. Lancet Planetary Health) are amplified across multiple channels.
GoGreenRoutes has sown the seeds for innovation, co-creation, action, and innovation in the Cultivating Cities. Notably, among the deliverables are our advances in our learning ecosystem, the Academy Cluster, to propagate learning across the large-scale consortium and beyond. Mentoring, online and in person training events and peer learning have advanced the knowledge across the consortium in terms of novel inclusive methodologies to be upscaled in the next reporting period. Activities on the ground in the cities, although limited, have been influential in bridging the gap between citizen and municipality ambitions.
The projects presence both online and across the wider NBS community is substantial (e.g. clustered projects, NBS community and task forces), with our kick-off meeting including MEPs (Sean Kelly, and Ciaran Cuffe), city experts (e.g. Miss Maria Yeroyanni) and advisory board members of distinction (e.g. Alice Charles WEF). Our events have had the input of local citizens, NGO’s and ambassadors expanding our sphere of influence beyond the cities in our project. This has been supported by the significant effort was invested to the development and implementation of a consistent and recognisable project identity. Dissemination and communication activities including training has ensured our key scientific outputs (e.g. Lancet Planetary Health) are amplified across multiple channels.
The projects presence both online and across the wider NBS community is substantial (e.g. clustered projects, NBS community and task forces), with our kick-off meeting including MEPs (Sean Kelly, and Ciaran Cuffe), city experts (e.g. Miss Maria Yeroyanni) and advisory board members of distinction (e.g. Alice Charles WEF). Our events have had the input of local citizens, NGO’s and ambassadors expanding our sphere of influence beyond the cities in our project. This has been supported by the significant effort was invested to the development and implementation of a consistent and recognisable project identity. Dissemination and communication activities including training has ensured our key scientific outputs (e.g. Lancet Planetary Health) are amplified across multiple channels.
To date GoGreenRoutes has initiated successful implementation of several tasks which contribute to key impacts that extend beyond the current state of art of research and innovation on NBS in the project partners, and potentially, also within the European and global context.
Impactful activities with wider societal implications of the GoGreenRoutes project during the first reporting period include:
Throughout the project activities, we have established several groups within the project, termed clusters, to cultivate expertise across the consortium partners, among clustered projects and within the Network Nature learning ecosystem to ensure transdisciplinary approaches with strong interlinkages with stakeholders working in the environmental sector and beyond are advanced, refined and resonate across our project. This learning ecosystem has been most evident through the Academy Cluster (e.g. for ECR’s, innovators and practitioners), which has coordinated training activity, a mentoring program (i.e. HSLAB members volunteer as mentors), and outreach activity. with stakeholders in the countries where our project is active. This is predicted to contribute to the long-term capacity across our 40 partners to co-create and innovate, implement, and conduct research on NBS for both human and environmental health. The delivery of training to improve capacity in environmental quality assessment, co-design of inclusive green infrastructure and citizen connectedness to nature are just some of the focal points to date.
The co-creation of knowledge-exchange interactions between stakeholders groups, citizens and municipalities across our six cultivating cities applying unique participatory approaches sows the seeds for novel outcomes due to the unique focus upon health and well-being. The inter-sectoral approach applied facilitates interactions between different policy sectors and between policy makers, practitioners, academia and urban citizens. The phrase ‘new approaches to old problems’ clearly resonates within GoGreenRoutes participatory processes within WP3, WP4 and WP7 to date. Revisions to methods including Delphi method, walking interviews and co-creation activities in urban health and well-being labs offer a unique window into the current health challenges and potential for citizen oriented solutions. At present, citizens views of their city, environmental challenges, nature connectedness and pathway to health are key dimensions that are being explored across our WPs. Urban health and well-being plans are among the outcomes from these processes, and these strategies will provide a beacon for cities to enlighten their future pathways to urban health.
The genesis of cutting-edge scientific findings with vast implications for urban health, in light of the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, EU Green Deal and post-COVID19 urban transformations. Twelve news features were generated from the Lancet Planetary Health journal output, it was highlighted in a video news reel by WEF and it generated huge traction across social media. Tellingly, the lead author was an early career researcher at ISGlobal whom has dedicated time to training others on the specific methodology at our Autumn school, at NUIM, in 2021. Over 65% of Europeans don’t have access to green space at the level recommended by the WHO (e.g. 0.5 hect. Within 300m), and moreover, the quality of greenspace matters. This initial foray into the role of greenspace in reducing the mortality burden in cities is an immense scientific contribution with policy implications.
This scientific endeavour sets the scene for our specific questions about mental health, the quality of the natural environment, the impact upon urban mobility and the role of nature connectedness to be answered through the next period of project activity.
Impactful activities with wider societal implications of the GoGreenRoutes project during the first reporting period include:
Throughout the project activities, we have established several groups within the project, termed clusters, to cultivate expertise across the consortium partners, among clustered projects and within the Network Nature learning ecosystem to ensure transdisciplinary approaches with strong interlinkages with stakeholders working in the environmental sector and beyond are advanced, refined and resonate across our project. This learning ecosystem has been most evident through the Academy Cluster (e.g. for ECR’s, innovators and practitioners), which has coordinated training activity, a mentoring program (i.e. HSLAB members volunteer as mentors), and outreach activity. with stakeholders in the countries where our project is active. This is predicted to contribute to the long-term capacity across our 40 partners to co-create and innovate, implement, and conduct research on NBS for both human and environmental health. The delivery of training to improve capacity in environmental quality assessment, co-design of inclusive green infrastructure and citizen connectedness to nature are just some of the focal points to date.
The co-creation of knowledge-exchange interactions between stakeholders groups, citizens and municipalities across our six cultivating cities applying unique participatory approaches sows the seeds for novel outcomes due to the unique focus upon health and well-being. The inter-sectoral approach applied facilitates interactions between different policy sectors and between policy makers, practitioners, academia and urban citizens. The phrase ‘new approaches to old problems’ clearly resonates within GoGreenRoutes participatory processes within WP3, WP4 and WP7 to date. Revisions to methods including Delphi method, walking interviews and co-creation activities in urban health and well-being labs offer a unique window into the current health challenges and potential for citizen oriented solutions. At present, citizens views of their city, environmental challenges, nature connectedness and pathway to health are key dimensions that are being explored across our WPs. Urban health and well-being plans are among the outcomes from these processes, and these strategies will provide a beacon for cities to enlighten their future pathways to urban health.
The genesis of cutting-edge scientific findings with vast implications for urban health, in light of the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, EU Green Deal and post-COVID19 urban transformations. Twelve news features were generated from the Lancet Planetary Health journal output, it was highlighted in a video news reel by WEF and it generated huge traction across social media. Tellingly, the lead author was an early career researcher at ISGlobal whom has dedicated time to training others on the specific methodology at our Autumn school, at NUIM, in 2021. Over 65% of Europeans don’t have access to green space at the level recommended by the WHO (e.g. 0.5 hect. Within 300m), and moreover, the quality of greenspace matters. This initial foray into the role of greenspace in reducing the mortality burden in cities is an immense scientific contribution with policy implications.
This scientific endeavour sets the scene for our specific questions about mental health, the quality of the natural environment, the impact upon urban mobility and the role of nature connectedness to be answered through the next period of project activity.