How can nature-based solutions (NBS) contribute to human and environmental health? A team of organisations have come together to answer this very question by creating "Urban Well-being Labs" that will cultivate positive human-nature relationships in cities across Europe, Asia and North America.

ICLEI Europe is among a large number of organisations that have been investigating the vast benefits of NBS for decades. However, what makes this new project unique, is how its approach shifts the focus of NBS towards co-benefits to health. What's more, it focuses on so-called "360-health", with the goal to advance mental and physical health and well-being, foster connectedness with nature, increase environmental awareness, engage residents in pro-environmental behaviour, and promote positive attitudes towards a sustainable environment.

The Urban Well-being Labs will pair participatory approaches and citizen science with Big Data analyses. The labs will focus on: nature-based enterprises (GROW), sustainable physical activity (MOVE), digital and cultural (FEEL) innovation, and knowledge innovation (KNOW).

The project will increase the uptake of NBS across "Cultivating Cities", "Seed Cities", and a "Cross-Pollination Network", which will share insights with partners in China, Mexico and Georgia. These cities span 12 countries and include ICLEI Members Burgas (Bulgaria), Lahti (Finland), and Umeå (Sweden).

To advance knowledge and best practices, this European-funded project – known as GoGreenRoutes – will work in a cluster alongside other Horizon2020 projects, including those in which ICLEI Europe is involved, such as proGIreg and Connecting Nature. Knowledge will also be shared publicly, by feeding data into open-source knowledge hubs, and producing online resources like an Urban 360-Health Toolkit, and Massive Open Online Courses.

For more information on this exciting new project, contact: gogreenroutes@ul.ie.