In the framework of the last consortium meeting of the URBiNAT project – Healthy corridors as drivers of social housing neighbourhoods for the co-creation of social, environmental and marketable NBS, which took place on 7, 8 and 9 March 2024 in Porto, visits were made to the Alameda de Cartes Park, new healthy corridor in the framework of the URBiNAT project, and to the Green Roofs of the Falcão Primary School, pilot building of the LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project. These are adjacent projects, located in Campanhã and based on the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), with funding from the European Union through the Horizon 2020 and LIFE programmes, respectively.
The Falcão School has served as an example with the NBS installed there in the framework of the European LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project, with 700 m2 of green roofs and façades, as well as photovoltaic panels, which aim to improve the bioclimatic comfort of this building and its users.
Visit to the green roofs of LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN © Jorge García (Câmara Municipal do Porto)
The on-site visits and the activities included allowed to experience first-hand the transformative impact of these works, which use NBS in the planning of cities, allowing to improve the quality of life of citizens, mitigate some of the effects of climate change and sustainably manage natural resources.
The visit, which was attended by the school’s coordinator, Helena Ribeiro, allowed the delegation to learn about and analyse these solutions on site, recognising and comparing their characteristics, functions and advantages compared to conventional alternatives.
Visit to the pond created by LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN © Jorge García (Câmara Municipal do Porto)
On the roof of the school, participants were able to see how green roofs work and what they are made of. Green roofs have the advantage of regulating the temperature inside buildings throughout the year and, at the same time, help rainwater to seep more slowly into the ground, preventing flooding.
The initiative brought together members from all over Europe, namely from the leading cities of the URBiNAT project (Sofia and Nantes) and the follower cities (Nova Gorica, Brussels and Høje-Taastrup) and represented an opportunity for policy makers, municipal technicians from various areas, as well as researchers and various organisations involved in the project to share experiences and learnings and visits to projects in Porto that integrate NBS in their requalification, such as the Falcão Basic School.
Exterior view of EB1 Falcão © Jorge García (Câmara Municipal do Porto)
The City Council also organises similar visits throughout the year, aimed at the school’ s teaching and non-teaching community, parents and the general public.
For more details on the event, see the news published on the Porto City Council website: https://www.porto.pt/pt/noticia/consorcio-mostra-resultados-de-projeto-europeu-para-corredores-saudaveis-nas-cidades.
Working table during URBiNAT event © Jorge García (Câmara Municipal do Porto)
For all news and events related to the LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project, we recommend following the project’s Twitter and LinkedIn channels.
