URWAN at the Forefront: “Urban Green Horizons” unites innovative projects URWAN and CARDIMED

On September 27th, the town of Ferla hosted “Urban Green Horizons,” a twinning event organized by SVI.MED. (EuroMediterranean Center for Sustainable Development – ETS) as part of the URWAN and CARDIMED projects. The event marked a key opportunity for URWAN, a pioneering initiative focused on nature-based solutions (NbS) and urban resilience, to engage in meaningful dialogue with CARDIMED, a project sharing similar goals in climate adaptation and sustainable urban planning.

The event brought together more than 100 participants from 50 regions across the Mediterranean, underscoring the importance of European collaboration in tackling climate and environmental challenges. Both URWAN and CARDIMED aim to build on existing results—such as the Wall2Water green wall, created under the NAWAMED project—and integrate innovative solutions that make cities more resilient and sustainable.

Participants had the chance to visit the Wall2Water, a practical example of NbS, combining sustainable water management with urban regeneration. This green wall, located in Ferla, treats and reuses greywater, demonstrating how nature-based infrastructure can be a vital tool for addressing urban environmental issues.

During the event, Barbara Sarnari of SVI.MED. opened the talk with an inspiring metaphor: “This short event is like the seed bomb you received at registration: it’s up to all of us to decide how and where to scatter these seeds of knowledge and watch what grows in the days to come.”

Attendees were gifted seedbombs—small eco-friendly clay spheres containing seeds—handmade by the Collettivo Ocra, symbolizing a commitment to restoring degraded natural spaces.

The event kicked off with a screening of the short film “Gocce di Rugiada” (Drops of Dew), which recently won the Golden Earth Award for Best Italian Short Film and Best Actress at the Geofilmfestival. The film, produced as part of the NAWAMED project, raised awareness about the urgency of adopting NbS and non-conventional water resources.

Following the film, partners from URWAN—including ANCI Lazio, SVI.MED., IRIDRA, MedCities, and the Energy Water Agency of Malta—engaged in a stimulating dialogue with CARDIMED partners. The conversation, moderated by representatives from the National Technical University of Athens and Utrecht University, explored potential future collaborations. The discussions focused on shared planning tools to promote NbS that combine functionality, aesthetics, and social inclusion, in line with the vision of the New European Bauhaus Initiative.

This event highlighted the potential of collaboration between URWAN and CARDIMED, showing how joint efforts can foster a common vision for resilient cities. Together, they aim to ensure sustainable management of natural resources and create a greener, more inclusive future for urban communities across the Mediterranean and beyond.