The project NBS4U, for Nature-Based Solutions for Urbanized Areas, coordinated by the University of Liège, has just received funding under the 5th call for proposals of the Interreg VI Meuse-Rhine program. Led at ULiège by Jacques Teller, professor of urban planning and director of the LEMA laboratory (Local Environment Management and Analysis, UR Urban and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences), this cross-border project aims to develop, test, and deploy nature-based solutions to strengthen the climate resilience of cities, villages, and peri-urban areas in the Meuse-Rhine region.
Urbanized areas in the Meuse-Rhine region are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: extreme rainfall events, heat waves, increased runoff, soil sealing, and urban heat islands. These phenomena, already clearly visible in our regions, call for concrete responses that are tailored to local realities and can be implemented by municipalities, public administrations, on-the-ground stakeholders, and local communities.
This is precisely the goal of NBS4U: to support regions in identifying, comparing, implementing, and evaluating nature-based solutions (NBS). Inspired by and supported by nature, these solutions are designed to simultaneously generate environmental, social, and economic benefits, while strengthening the resilience of regions. In practical terms, these may include green roofs or walls, measures to reduce impervious surfaces, or developments that promote water infiltration, lower temperatures, and restore biodiversity in urban areas. Beyond their environmental benefits, these solutions can also help improve quality of life, enhance the appeal of public spaces, and support new models of local governance.
NBS4U will develop a practical toolkit designed to help local stakeholders evaluate and compare different NBS in urban, suburban, or village settings. The goal is, in particular, to identify the most suitable locations for implementing de-impermeabilization or greening initiatives, using spatial analyses and field data.
This experimental approach is essential. While the benefits of NBS are still often assessed based on simulations, NBS4U intends to observe their effects under real-world conditions within seven Living Labs spread across the Meuse-Rhine region. These Living Labs will make it possible to track the concrete impacts of the implemented solutions, share feedback among municipalities, and build a cross-border community of practice focused on local climate adaptation.
Two of these seven Living Labs will be located in the Province of Liège, specifically in Liège and Verviers, giving the project a strong local focus. In Liège, the garden on Rue Porte-aux-Oies will become a full-scale experimental site, with the creation of a green space designed with and for residents. In Verviers, the project will focus on the demineralization and greening of the courtyard at École Pierre Rapsat.
Each Living Lab will benefit from the support of the project’s partner research centers, with a particular focus on impact measurement, governance conditions, the involvement of local communities, and economic models likely to facilitate the deployment of these solutions on a larger scale.
The Interreg Meuse-Rhine program (IMR), co-financed by the European Union and Wallonia, aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation between the border regions of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. It covers the Provinces of Limburg in Belgium and the Netherlands, the Province of Liège (BE), North Rhine-Westphalia (DE), and Rhineland-Palatinate (DE). For the 2021–2027 period, a budget of 176 million euros has been allocated to cross-border projects, of which 125 million euros is funded by the European Union. This program addresses five major societal challenges: industrial transition, green transformation, health, tourism, and cooperation.
With its 3.88 million inhabitants and the diversity of its urban, suburban, and rural contexts, the Meuse-Rhine region is a particularly relevant testing ground for evaluating the applicability of nature-based solutions across different legal, technical, and institutional frameworks.
By bringing together municipalities, public administrations, research centers, service providers, and local communities, NBS4U aims to move from a mindset of intention to one of action: testing, measuring, comparing, and sharing concrete solutions to help the territories of the Meuse-Rhine region adapt more quickly to the effects of climate change.
At ULiège, NBS4U builds on the work carried out by Jacques Teller and his teams on sustainable urban development, land use planning, urban governance, and the modeling of urbanization dynamics. The project will also draw on the expertise of Roland Billen ( Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography, URSphères), Grégory Mahy (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Landscape (BEP)) and Manal Ginzarly (Faculty of Applied Sciences, UR Urban and Environmental Engineering).
The consortium brings together 14 partners from the Meuse-Rhine region:
Learn more about Interreg Meuse-Rhine
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