What we do
URWAN is a project that operates across the Mediterranean, combining participatory co-design with nature-based solutions to reimagine public spaces and urban water management. Using the Start Park methodology, local communities in Cuba, Portugal, Ptuj (Slovenia), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Rome and Ferla (Italy) took part in facilitated co-design processes to shape shared masterplans for their neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, dedicated NbS investments were designed for Cuba, Rome and Larnaka (Cyprus), with interventions in Cuba and Rome being fully realised. In addition, an Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS) was used to support local authorities in Ferla, Ptuj and Sarajevo to identify and compare different intervention scenarios.
Cuba
In Cuba, the investment showcases an integrated Nature-based Solutions system for sustainable urban water management. A constructed wetland, rain garden and green roof work together with a shaded pergola to capture, treat and reuse rainwater and greywater, cutting potable water demand for irrigation and sanitation. At its core, a sewer mining process diverts and treats wastewater on-site through a constructed wetland, in full compliance with EU Regulation 2020/741 on minimum requirements for water reuse — turning a waste stream into a safe, local water resource. The green infrastructure also cools the microclimate, boosts biodiversity, and creates a more liveable, climate-resilient public space. Watch the video
Following the Start Park methodology, in Cuba, a facilitated participatory design of the school courtyard was carried out by local facilitators trained and guided by the URWAN team. Through facilitated events involving 293 participants, the process led to a shared masterplan for the space, complemented by a technical-economic pre-feasibility study developed with the support of technical partners. Discover more in the Start Park activity portfolio
Ferla
Following the Start Park methodology, in Ferla, a facilitated participatory design of a square near the local school was carried out by local facilitators trained and guided by the URWAN team. Through facilitated events involving 250 local residents and students, the process led to a shared masterplan for the space, complemented by a technical-economic pre-feasibility study developed with the support of technical partners. Discover more in the Start Park activity portfolio.
Larnaka
In Larnaka, the URWAN project designed Nature-based Solutions for two beach facilities, based on vertical greening — green façades and anchored vertical garden modules — to treat greywater collected from the facilities’ showers and hand basins on-site. Treated water was reused internally for WC flushing. The two interventions aimed to demonstrate decentralised water reuse and support Larnaka’s response to drought and growing water scarcity. While the pilots were not physically implemented, remaining at the design stage, they stand as a replicable model for water-conscious urban regeneration in water-stressed Mediterranean cities. Watch the video
Ptuj
Following the Start Park methodology, in Ptuj, a facilitated participatory design of a public space between residential buildings was carried out by local facilitators trained and guided by the URWAN team. Through facilitated events involving 116 participants, the process led to a shared masterplan for the space, complemented by a technical-economic pre-feasibility study developed with the support of technical partners. Discover more in the Start Park activity portfolio.
Rome
In Rome, the investment showcases an integrated Nature-based Solutions system for sustainable urban water management. De-paving of the schoolyard made way for a rain garden and bioretention area, working together to capture, treat and store rainwater, cutting potable water demand for irrigation of the school’s vegetable garden and green areas. At its core, the system collects and treats rainwater on-site in a dedicated storage tank, turning runoff into a safe, local water resource for reuse within the school grounds. The green infrastructure also cools the microclimate, boosts biodiversity, and creates a more liveable, climate-resilient school courtyard. Watch the video
Following the Start Park methodology, in Cuba, a facilitated participatory design of the school courtyard was carried out by local facilitators trained and guided by the URWAN team. Through facilitated events involving 293 participants, the process led to a shared masterplan for the space, complemented by a technical-economic pre-feasibility study developed with the support of technical partners. Discover more in the Start Park activity portfolio
Sarajevo
Following the Start Park methodology, in Sarajevo, a facilitated participatory design of a public green space along the riverbank was carried out by local facilitators trained and guided by the URWAN team. Through facilitated events involving 248 participants, the process led to a shared masterplan for the space, complemented by a technical-economic pre-feasibility study developed with the support of technical partners. Discover more in the Start Park activity portfolio.
