First City Lab visit with the NBSINFRA Consortium
NBSINFRA partners reunited in Dublin to share insights and updates followed by a visit to the Fingal City Lab
On March 25th, a Steering Committee meeting was held in Dublin, and the following day the partners had the opportunity to visit the Swords area, part of the Fingal City Lab, with the guidance of the Senior Parks Superintendent at Fingal County Council Kevin Halpenny and the Strategic Policy Unit at Fingal County Council Roisin Burke.
The visit to Swords in Ireland provided the consortium with valuable insights into the municipality's strategic plans for the upcoming years. One of the primary objectives outlined by the municipality of Swords is the revitalization of the Ward River Regional Park, with a keen focus on enhancing connectivity between the city center, the park, and the river. By re-evaluating and enhancing the Ward River Regional Park, the municipality aims to create a vibrant green space that serves as a recreational hub while also preserving the natural environment. In line with these goals, there are plans to decrease traffic congestion and reduce the number of parking spaces along main roads. Instead, there will be a shift towards prioritizing alternative modes of transportation such as cycling and walking, with dedicated areas.
The Fingal City Lab is one of the five city labs across Europe set up by NBSINFRA to assess how cities can handle different challenges and stay resilient through Nature-based Solutions. Each city lab aims to investigate how NBS can protect local infrastructures, preserve biodiversity, and restore ecosystems confronting the challenges of climate change. Fingal aims to increase the resilience of the local economy and provide an accessible, inclusive, healthy urban environment.
As NBSINFRA continues to lead the way in advancing NBS across Europe, the strategies developed through the five NBSINFRA City Labs will certainly help shape the future environments to be resilient, green and sustainable.
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