Cities across Europe are grappling with the same question: How do we make space for nature when there’s limited space to spare? From April 2-4, Cork City Council hosted the GreenDense partners to explore solutions and draw inspiration from a range of spaces in the city.
As a pilot partner, it was an exciting opportunity for Cork City to be able to tackle the challenge of greening its medieval city core and delivering nature-based solutions through collaboration and deep dives with the other cities and expert organisations.
Over the three days, the participants engaged in interactive workshops, case studies, site analysis and group discussions to gain a better understanding of the opportunities, tools and strategies we can apply to promote green, sustainable practices for our cities. The group visited the two pilot project sites in Cork City at North Main Street, Dean Street and Fort Street to analyse and review the pilot sites and further discuss creative ways for greening and engagement with the community.
The workshops were an opportunity for the group to collaborate and gain an understanding of the opportunities, challenges and barriers that we all face when trying to deliver greener streets and open spaces for our communities. We were able to listen, understand and discuss diverse perspectives, gain insights and offer innovative solutions for greening our streets that we can all effectively apply as we continue to foster and implement nature-based solutions.
A highlight of the activities throughout the three days was the Cork harbour boat tour which sailed along the River Lee at sunset, on a lovely sunny evening. It gave the group the opportunity to experience the beautiful surroundings and scenery of Cork City from the water.
The partner meeting was an achievement of shared goals and diverse perspectives that aim to lead to more creative greening solutions for our cities. Cork City is invested in exploring new approaches to greening and co-creation, along with the partner cities, to deliver more green, biodiverse and climate resilient streets that people can enjoy and want to live, work and stay.
Article written by Amy Delany, Rosemarie McDonald, and Emer O'Callaghan - Cork City Council