We are pleased to announce that the URWAN project has been highlighted in the European Commission’s DG REGIO newsletter with the article: “Interreg driving the New European Bauhaus: from tactical urbanism to water-smart cities” (26 August 2025).
The article explores how Cohesion Policy projects are shaping more sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetically pleasing urban spaces, in line with the New European Bauhaus and the European Green Deal.
URWAN is presented as a leading example of water-efficient Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Mediterranean context. Through interventions such as de-paving, rain gardens, shaded micro-spaces, bioretention areas, and water reuse systems, URWAN demonstrates how it is possible to:
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enhance resilience to climate change,
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improve urban comfort and biodiversity,
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foster stronger community identity and participation.
The article also highlights URWAN’s pilot actions, from the transformation of a school playground in Rome to multifunctional green infrastructures in Cuba (Portugal), both designed to combine education, innovation, and environmental regeneration.
This recognition from DG REGIO confirms the relevance of URWAN’s mission: to show that water-smart solutions can be accessible, replicable, and central to the future of sustainable cities.
Read the full article here