| Description | VARCITIES – Visionary Nature‑based Actions for Health, Well‑being and Resilience in Cities is an EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Action that ran from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2025. Coordinated by the Telecommunication Systems Institute of the Technical University of Crete (Polytechneio Kritis), the project involved around 25 partners and seven pilot municipalities across Europe. With a total budget of €10.95 million and an EU contribution of about €10.12 million, VARCITIES aimed to reimagine urban environments through nature‑based solutions (NBS) that improve citizens’ health and well‑being while building urban resilience.
The project’s vision was to make cities human‑centred, using public spaces as living labs for visionary nature‑based actions. Seven European pilot cities—Castelfranco Veneto (Italy), Chania (Greece), Dundalk (Ireland), Gzira (Malta), Leuven (Belgium), Novo mesto (Slovenia) and Skellefteå (Sweden)—tested innovative NBS interventions such as green infrastructure, smart sensors and digital tools. These interventions were designed to be locally adapted and monitored through advanced health and well‑being indicators, with the aim of transforming urban public spaces into safe, inclusive and multifunctional areas.
VARCITIES pursued several strategic objectives: designing visionary NBS tailored to each city; assessing the sustainability and impact of interventions through key performance indicators; creating governance, business and financing (GBF) models to support the transition to smart, resilient cities; engaging a broad range of stakeholders in co‑design processes; clustering with other European initiatives to maximise knowledge exchange; and establishing a Healthy Cities Helix to transfer and scale best practices. By fostering co‑design and participatory planning, the project aimed to deliver high‑quality public spaces, drive new business opportunities, and build a network of cities and SMEs that can capitalise on decades of urban research and innovation. |
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