Greening Cities Partnership meets in Imola and Bologna to prepare its final implementation phase
Hosted by Nuovo Circondario Imolese and the Metropolitan City of Bologna, the meeting brought Greening Cities Partnership members together for two days of exchange, planning and policy discussion. The programme combined a public session linked to the Interreg Euro-MED Cool Noons project with internal Partnership sessions focused on outputs, uptake, synergies and next steps until October 2026.
Linking urban greening with heat resilience
The meeting opened in Imola with the final event of the Cool Noons project, a European initiative focused on climate adaptation and the mitigation of urban heat islands through the creation of “Cool Paths”. The public conference presented results from pilot cities including Imola, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Budva and Marseille. It also created a timely space to connect the work of the Greening Cities Partnership with practical approaches to heat resilience, public-space transformation and nature-based solutions. Greening Cities representatives contributed to the discussion by presenting the Partnership’s activities, outputs and dissemination opportunities, including the ESPON-GILL methodology for quantifying green infrastructure demand at local level.
Taking stock of Partnership outputs
The internal meeting focused first on the Partnership’s main outputs across Actions 1–6. Partners discussed not only what has been produced, but also who the outputs are for, how they can be used in practice, and how they can support cities, Member States and EU-level actors.
Key outputs discussed included
- the ESPON-GILL methodology and platform,
- the Monitoring & Evaluation guidance for nature-positive urban strategies,
- the Urban Nature Strategies Policy Readiness Self-Assessment Guide,
- the ongoing work on satisfactory levels,
- the Action 5 work on innovative financing tools, and
- the upcoming Urban Nature Playbook.
A strong focus was placed on usability. Partners underlined that outputs need to be presented in formats that are accessible to local authorities, including short summaries, translated extracts, case-study material and practical workshop formats.
Preparing for Nature Restoration Regulation implementation
A central part of the meeting was dedicated to the Partnership’s contribution to the upcoming EUI capacity-building event on the Nature Restoration Regulation, taking place in Vienna on 20-21 October.
The discussion built on the June 2026 pre-event webinar, where many participants indicated that their cities either do not yet have an urban nature or biodiversity plan, or have one that needs to be updated and strengthened. Low confidence was also reported around targets, indicators, monitoring arrangements and alignment with other policy areas.
Against this background, partners explored how Greening Cities outputs could be used in practical learning formats. Ideas included a tools corner, poster material, case-study sessions, interactive questionnaires guiding participants toward relevant outputs, and possible workshops on satisfactory levels, monitoring, financing and policy readiness.
![Greening Cities Partnership working in Bologna]](/sites/default/files/images-media/IMG_5444.jpg)
Common messages for cities, Member States and EU actors
The meeting also helped consolidate key policy and uptake messages from the Partnership.
For cities, the Partnership emphasised that green infrastructure improves well-being, strengthens liveability and can be implemented through both large-scale strategies and incremental interventions. Partners also stressed that urban greening is increasingly linked to regulatory obligations, including the Nature Restoration Regulation, and therefore needs to be embedded in planning, funding and governance systems.
For Member States, the discussion highlighted green infrastructure as a single policy tool addressing multiple challenges: climate adaptation, biodiversity restoration, health, liveability and social resilience. Partners also underlined the importance of national support for cities, including clearer guidance, funding frameworks and recognition of long-term maintenance needs.
At EU level, the Partnership’s messages focused on continued capacity-building, stronger support for implementation, better dissemination of practical tools, and the need to recognise maintenance as a core part of financing urban green infrastructure.
Dissemination and legacy of the Partnership
A dedicated session addressed how the Partnership’s outputs can reach wider national and local audiences.
Partners discussed the need for a short one- to two-page Partnership-level brief, improved presentation of documents on the Urban Agenda for the EU website, and stronger use of national dissemination channels such as Urban Contact Points, ministries, local authority associations and national webinars.
The meeting also opened a discussion on how the Partnership’s results can remain useful beyond its current implementation period. Possible pathways included continued dissemination through EUI activities, links with other Urban Agenda Partnerships, national-level uptake, and lighter forms of follow-up cooperation.
Next steps
The Imola/Bologna meeting helped define the Partnership’s final-stage priorities until October 2026. These include finalising and publishing remaining outputs, preparing practical material for the Nature Restoration Regulation capacity-building activities, strengthening national dissemination, and consolidating the Partnership’s policy and uptake messages.
The Partnership will also continue exploring synergies with other Urban Agenda for the EU Partnerships, particularly on topics such as water sensitivity, compact urban planning, financing, climate adaptation and nature-based solutions.
By bringing together practical tools, policy messages and implementation pathways, the meeting marked an important step in ensuring that the Greening Cities Partnership’s work remains visible, usable and relevant for cities working to restore and finance urban nature across Europe.