GreenEsteem Living Labs

At the heart of GreenEsteem are our Living Labs in Konin (Poland) and Sofia (Bulgaria), site-specific ecosystems where diverse stakeholders come together to explore, test, and adapt Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in real-life settings. Bringing together citizens, local authorities, academia, and industry, these labs ensure that solutions are grounded in local realities while generating shared knowledge for more resilient cities.

Living Labs

Methodology

GreenEsteem Badges

1. Co-evaluation process

Stakeholders collaboratively assess existing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) practices across two complementary dimensions. First, they examine the valorisation of knowledge through the lens of the European Council’s Recommendation on knowledge valorisation. Second, they identify implementation barriers, skills and capacity needs, as well as the enabling factors that have supported NBS implementation to date. Together, these insights help define criteria and conditions for the long-term sustainability and scaling of NBS.

2. Co-designing a sustainable Nature-Based Solutions

The co-design process focuses on improving knowledge about Nature-Based Solutions and developing stakeholders’ competencies to co-design a sustainable NBS projects that respond to local needs and strengthen urban climate resilience. It follows three connected phases:

Citizen-based Mapping:

Residents, NGOs, and local authorities identify neglected urban spaces, or “hotspots,” through digital geo-surveys and in-person workshops. This process helps select neighbourhoods where NBS interventions are most needed.

Virtual Reality:

Residents use immersive Virtual Reality (VR) tools to collaboratively explore ideas and co-create tailored NBS models for the selected neighbourhoods. The resulting 3D visions can support communication with communities and decision-makers.

Strategic Backcasting:

Local communities, planners, landscape architects, authorities, and policymakers work backwards from a shared 2050 vision to identify the steps, actions, and responsibilities needed to implement and maintain the co-designed NBS.

Together, these phases turn local knowledge and ideas into shared, actionable visions for greener, more climate-resilient neighbourhoods.

Konin Living Lab

Focuses on post-industrial areas and modernist housing estates in a city actively transitioning toward climate neutrality.

Explore Konin Lab

Sofia Living Lab

Focuses on rebuilding citizen trust and tackling public space maintenance in the Zapaden Park neighbourhood.

Explore Sofia Lab

News