GREENHANCEnbt
GREENHANCEnbt is a project in which nature-based thinking will be tested at various levels in Malmö, Barcelona, and Turin. The project will run for three years and focuses on biodiversity and human well-being in urban agriculture.
SLU is leading the project
SLU will receive SEK 5.7 million from Formas to lead the project. NBT in the project name stands for nature-based thinking, a concept developed by SLU in response to increased initiatives in nature-based solutions.
The project will be led at SLU by Geovana Mercado, researcher, together with Thomas Randrup, professor, both at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management. Researchers from Italy and Spain are also involved in the project, which will test nature-based solutions at the local level in Malmö, at the city level in Turin, and at the regional level in Barcelona.
“It feels fantastic, mainly because we have been working with NBT at a conceptual level. Having the opportunity to apply and test it in real cases and develop it further is very exciting. The three cities we have as case studies (Barcelona, Turin, and Malmö) are also spectacular and already stand on their own two feet. They have a lot of experience to share, and we have so much to learn from them,” says Geovana Mercado.
Receiving this project grant is an important milestone for us. This grant allows us to showcase our work with NBT to a wider audience and test it in real-life scenarios. It also enables us to be part of the Biodiversa platform and collaborate with potential future partners. I am confident that the contacts we can make through the Biodiversa network will open doors to future projects as well.
The researchers hope to develop guidelines and recommendations that are easy to follow for decision-makers, practitioners, and users of urban agriculture.
“We also hope to further develop NBT and continue to explore different ways of organizing and living for and with nature in cities,” says Geovana Mercado.
Background
The project is a further development of the previous EU Horizon 2020 project Conexus, in which researchers studied the practical consequences of nature-based thinking in seven cities around the world. This time, the researchers want to test and apply the lessons learned from Conexus in three different cases involving synergies and trade-offs between urban agriculture, increased biodiversity, and human well-being.
NBT advocates that all nature-based initiatives should take into account three dimensions: nature itself, the organizations that formally or informally own and make decisions about natural areas, and the communities that live in, for, and with nature.
GREENHANCEnbt in Malmö is led by SLU in collaboration with Botildenborg.