GRowing Effective & Equitable Nature-based Solutions through INClusive Climate Actions (GREEN-INC)
GREEN-INC – a European research project with 6 universities and 5 partner cities.
The project will research how Inclusive Climate Actions can lead to more effective and equitable Nature-based Solutions for both communities and ecosystems. GREEN-INC aims to help European cities to implement Inclusive Climate Actions that result in a more just delivery and design of Nature-based Solutions by incorporating fairness and distributing NbS impacts as equitably as possible.
Abstract:
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have multiple benefits but can reinforce urban inequalities and injustices in cities. To better account for NbS dilemmas and trade-offs, theory and practice have embraced Inclusive Climate Actions (ICAs) that simultaneously tackle climate change and urban inequalities. However, a systematic evaluation of ICAs in European cities has not yet been executed. The GREEN-INC project will assess the performance of ICAs in five European cities (Amsterdam, Bucharest, Brussels, Skellefteå, and Turin) facing different climate change impacts and rooted in various urban planning systems. Through a systematic evaluation, we will identify the institutional conditions and design principles under which ICAs help uptake NbS in different European contexts. Our research strategy consists of a comparative case study approach integrating four academic disciplines that each provide valuable perspectives on the effectiveness and social justice of ICAs. The design principles derived from these interdisciplinary assessments will be validated using digital twin technology in five living labs with local partners in the five cities. Altogether, GREEN-INC will help European cities to implement ICAs that result in a more just delivery and design of NbS by incorporating fairness and distributing NbS impacts as equitably as possible.
Project number: COFUND-DUT-GREEN-INC-1
Project contract: 44 from 01/04/2024
Financer: UEFISCDI, DUT Call 2022, Co-funded by the European Commission
Duration: 2024-2026
Buget: 950.000 LEI (103.295 LEI con-funded by the EU)
Participants (UNIBUC CCMESI):
Constantina-Alina Hossu (project leader)
Mihai Razvan Nita
Ioan Cristian Ioja
Cristina Mitincu
Maria Alexandra Calota
Objective of UNIBUC CCMESI: To assess the socio-spatial justice of ICAs by mapping the intersectional climate (in)justices in communities impacted by NbS, and by evaluating the perceptions and values of professionals and communities in ICAs.
Partners:
Coordinator: University of Amsterdam (Jannes Willems principal investigator)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Université libre de Bruxelles
Luleå University of Technology
Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino
Asociatia InformART
Les Etats Generaux de l’eau a Bruxelles
Waternet Amsterdam
City of Turin
Skellefteå kommun
Main results
Articles
- Hossu, C.A.; Breuste, J.; Iojă, I.C.; Onose, D.A.; Vrînceanu, A.; Ponizy, L.; Zwierzchowska, I.; Kryger, R.; Mizgajski, A. The Use of Green Infrastructure in the Suburbs: Insights from Three European Cities. Land 2024, 13, 1862
- Mitincu C.G., Hossu C.A., Iojă I.C., Niță M.R., Calotă M.A., Niță A., Willems J., Li J. (2025) Towards inclusive Nature-based Solutions: Insights from a Systematic Review of European Urban Contexts, under review
Conferences
2025
- Niță M.R., Hossu C.A., Iojă C.I., Calotă A.M., Mitincu C.G., 2025, Evaluating stakeholders’ perception for inclusive climate actions and NBS acceptance, EGU General Assembly 2025, 27th April – 2nd May, Vienna, Austria.
- Mitincu C.G., Hossu C.A., Calotă A.M., Niță M.R. lojă C.I., 2025, Inclusive nature-based solutions for local communities: Lessons from European case studies, 11th ESP World Conference, 23th – 27th, Darwin, Australia.
- Hossu C.A., Niță M.R., Mitincu C.G., Iojă C.I., Calotă A.M., 2025, Literature review on inclusive Nature-based Solutions in Europe. AESOP Annual Congress 2025, Planning as a Transformative Action in an Age of Planetary Crisis, 7th -11th July, Istanbul, Türkiye.
- Niță M.R., Hossu C.A., Iojă C.I., Calotă A.M., Mitincu C.G., 2025, Barriers and drivers in using nature-based solutions for inclusive climate actions, SURE 4th World Conference, 16th – 19th July, Istanbul, Türkiye.
- Calotă A.M., Niță M.R., Hossu C.A., Mitincu C.G., Iojă C.I., 2025, Towards Inclusive Nature-based Solutions: Criteria for Equitable Implementation of Nature Based-Solution in cities, IALE 2025 European Landscape Ecology Congress, 2nd – 5th September, Bratislava, Slovacia.
- Iojă C.I., Calotă A.M., Hossu C.A., Niță M.R., Matache L.M., 2025, Nature-based Solutions Urban Living Lab Tei-Colentina, 13th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Management (ICEEM), 17-20 September, Iasi, Romania.
- Mitincu C.G., Hossu C.A., Calotă A.M., Niță M.R. lojă C.I., 2025, Inclusive nature-based solutions in urban ecosystems: Lessons learned from case studies across Europe, 8th Scientific Symposium “Ecosystem Services in a Transdisciplinary Approach”, 18th -25th September, Poznan, Poland.
- Calotă A.M., Iojă C.I., Hossu C.A., Niță M.R., Matache L.M., 2025 Resilient by Nature — Stakeholder-driven blue approaches in the Tei-Colentina Living Lab, 2nd Conference on Water Research for Young Scientists, 22-23 September, Bucharest, Romania.
2024
- Hossu C.A., Iojă I.C., Niță M.R., Mitincu C., Calotă M.A., 2024 – Inclusive nature-based solutions. A European perspective, XIXth edition, International Conference Present Environment and Sustainable Development, 7-9 June, Iași, Romania
- Mitincu C.G., Hossu C.A., Calotă A.M., Niță M.R., Iojă I.C., 2024 – A systematic literature review on inclusive European Nature-based Solutions projects, International Scientific Conference “Science for Sustainable Development”, October 3-4, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Calotă M.A., Niță M.R., Hossu C.A., Mitincu C.G., Iojă I.C., 2024 – A comprehensive exploration of equitable and inclusive nature-based solutions for enhancing resilience across Europe, The 8th International Conference on Green Urbanism, 7-9 October, Rome, Italy
- Niță M.R., Hossu C.A., Iojă C.I., Calotă M.A., 2024 – Identifying the enablers of inclusive nature-based solutions in European cities, Urban Transitions 2024, 5 – 7 November, Sitges, Spain
- Iojă C.I., Hossu C.A., Niță M.R., Mitincu C., Calotă M.A., 2024 – Inclusive nature-based solutions. A European perspective, International Geographical Seminar Dimitrie Cantemir, XLIV Edition, 17-20 October, Iași, Romania
- Mitincu C.G., Hossu C.A., Calotă A.M., Niță M.R., Iojă I.C., 2024 – The justice dimensions of nature-based solutions: A systematic analysis of European literature, The 3rd International Conference on “Re-shaping Territories, Environment and Societies: New Challenges for Geography”, November 15-15, Bucharest, Romania
Other dissemination activities
- Interview with a project member (Prof. Dr. Mihai Niță) at a national radio station (Radio France Internationale)
- Online dissemination
- DUT Webinar “Urban Lunch Talk #30 Advocating for Green-Blue Infrastructure in Urban Planning“, with a project member (Prof. Dr. Mihai Niță).
Reports