Trinity College professors are to lead a €12m Horizon 2020-funded project to bring nature back to European cities
A €12m Horizon 2020 funded programme aimed at rethinking how modern-day cities can benefit from nature will be led by Trinity College.
The project, ‘Connecting Nature’, will work to establish Europe as a global leader when it comes to how 21st-century cities can utilise the natural environment.
A total of 37 organisations from 19 countries will work on the project, with 11 European cities investing in nature-based solutions, an initiative designed to bring more nature into the cityscape.
Through the project, there will be opportunities to share experiences with partners globally.
Transforming future cities
Project leader, Assistant Professor in Botany Dr Marcus Collier said the project was unprecedented
He said: “Connecting Nature will attempt to achieve what no other Horizon 2020 project has before.
“It will co-create city-wide masterplans to scale-out natural-based solutions and generate funding for them. This is not just about building climate resilience — it is about transforming cities for future generations.”
Director of Research at the Trinity Business School, Professor Brian Lucey, added: “Trinity Business School is committed to research that is not just academically credible but also impactful, such as the Connecting Nature project.
“This project will make a difference going forward by integrating cities with academic research, and it will also forge an important link between two schools in Trinity.”
