The overall objective of NICE is to widen the availability of enhanced Natural Based Solutions (NBS) to provide circular urban water solutions. NICE will provide key knowledge for the design and implementation of NBS, closing urban water loops. Solutions will make available reusable water for different purposes, in addition to mitigating pollution and runoff and constituting an attractive and integral part of the urban landscape. NICE strategy will be based on the comprehensive study of existing NBS together with the R&D at lab and the validation at Urban Real Labs (11 URLs and 4 Fellow Sites in 5 EU countries and 2 international locations) of innovative NBS covering the urban water cycle (wastewater, greywater, river basins, stormwater & combined sewer overflow).High-potential technologies such as green walls, vegetated rooftops, rain gardens & hybrid subsurface wetlands will be studied and enhanced with especially tailored bioaugmentation strategies, reactive materials & other filling media, novel design & plants, obtaining highly innovative and efficient urban water NBS. The overall approach encompasses the integration of research, citizens, policy and the economic sector to provide the knowledge-base for the integration of the NBS in the real context, covering technical, geographic, social, economic and cultural variety: • Enable the scaling up NBS across EU by development of guidelines, standards and methodologies. A deep review of the existing innovative urban NBS in EU and beyond as well as the creation and implementation of URLs will be carried out. • New business and investment models to maximize the co-effectiveness and co-benefits for the environment, economy and society in urban landscapes of the development and deploy of NBS solutions. • Identify obstacles, barriers and opportunities for the current regulatory framework to support the integration of the NBS in the urban landscape and the use of the effluents for reuse in different uses. • Raising citizen´s awareness and engagement by involving local citizens, authorities, other NBS projects, etc. in the co-creation of the URLs.

The overwhelming scientific evidence provided by the academic corpus indicates that to tackle the origin and negative impacts of nutrient pollution on water, soil and biodiversity, a wide landscape-river-sea system approach needs to be used. This should work on sustainable land management practices (especially, agricultural ones), improved wastewater treatment, and feasible nature restoration strategies. The project SEACURE will aim at demonstrating, scaling up and replicating effective innovations for the systemic prevention and reduction of nutrient pollution in the Mediterranean Sea basin, in line with the innovation ecosystem framework provided by the ongoing Mediterranean Lighthouse projects (as BlueMissionMed) and in close cooperation with related activities implemented by regional soil health living labs in the area. The project is dedicating resources for the regional upscale and replication of successful nutrient management strategies devoted to: i) reduce soil pollution and enhance its restoration; ii) reduce fertilizers use and nutrient losses; and iii) prevent, minimize and remediate nutrients pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems, in six territorial units (Mar Menor and Central Catalunya in Spain, Po delta and Esino river in Italy, and Axios river delta and Thessaly Plain in Greece). On one hand, the viability and impact will be evaluated. On the other hand, partners will act on innovation levers: policy uptake, societal awareness, capacity building and funding availability. Regional business plans for upscaling the effective strategies in the territorial units will be crafted, taking advantage of the regional mobilisation of innovation ecosystems already carried out during the project. Finally, the replication of knowledge will be encouraged thanks to the technical assistance to Associated Regions through FSTP grants. In summary, the project is embracing the Missions’ impact-driven approach, working with actors to maximise its results’ uptake.

In order to tackle pressing societal issues, we must reconsider how we design and inhabit our neighbourhoods. The necessity of consistently including end users or local communities is sometimes overlooked in the planning, designing, and construction processes used today. However, combining community knowledge and initiatives can result in more liveable neighbourhoods that empower citizens and represent local needs and surroundings. Furthermore, the way public areas are constructed can have a big influence on how people interact with one another, what kinds of activities happen there, and how much trust the public has in their local government and democracy as a whole. The project seeks to rethink how neighborhoods are designed and experienced by emphasizing the importance of involving local communities in the planning, design, and construction processes. By incorporating community knowledge, more livable spaces can be created that meet local needs and empower residents. Public spaces are vital in fostering social interaction, trust in government, and democratic engagement. Equipping people with the tools to actively participate in co-designing these environments can strengthen social trust, enhance a sense of belonging, and boost community involvement. The "Sustainable Public Spaces through Inclusive Community Engagement (SPICE)" project aims to develop a participatory co-creation model for shaping neighborhoods. It will explore and test innovative methods to engage communities in co-designing and maintaining public spaces across diverse European neighborhoods. By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, leveraging digital tools, and using sustainable construction practices, the project aims to address societal challenges, promote social inclusion, support democratic participation, and align with the European Green Deal and New European Bauhaus principles.

The overall goal of MULTISOURCE is to, together with local, national, and international stakeholders, demonstrate a variety of about Enhanced Natural Treatment Solutions (ENTS) treating a wide range of urban waters and to develop innovative tools, methods, and business models that support citywide planning and long-term operations and maintenance of nature-based solutions for water treatment, storage, and reuse in urban areas worldwide. MULTISOURCE will allow users to identify multiple sources for local water reuse, promote increased uptake of nature-based solutions, and minimize discharge of water that has not received adequate treatment. MULTISOURCE will deliver new knowledge about ENTS and their ability to remove waterborne contaminants and provide effective risk reduction for chemical and biological hazards, as well as their capacity to be integrated into the landscape and contribute to the improvement of urban habitats. The project includes seven pilots treating a wide range of urban waters. Two individual municipalities (Girona, Spain; Oslo, Norway), two metropolitan municipalities (Lyon, France; Milan, Italy), and international partners in Brazil, Vietnam, and the USA will contribute to each of the main project activities: ENTS pilots, risk assessment, business models, technology selection, and the MULTISOURCE Planning Platform. The use of urban archetypes in the Planning Platform will enable users to quickly classify regions (in both developed or developing countries) suitable for the application of nature-based solutions for water treatment (NBSWT) and compare scenarios both with and without NBSWT. This unique approach provides the knowledge, business models, and modular tools that will enable stakeholders to conduct fit-to-purpose, large-scale planning in their local region and, in doing so, promote circularity and sustainable development in the urban water sector and overcome barriers to widespread uptake of nature based solutions for water treatment.

Water, particularly access to safe drinking water and sanitation remains a worldwide challenge. By 2040, it is estimated that 1 in 4 children will be living in regions of extremely high-water stress because of overuse, population growth, and climate change. One of the regions most affected by these issues is the Global South. An inclusive approach for managing water resources circularly is needed to address the clean water crisis. Here, the expertise from the European Union countries can support the research needs and knowledge gaps from the Global South, while simultaneously leading to an assessment of current challenges and best practises in the Global North. For that, 6 academic institutions, 1 SME and 1 water utility join efforts through NEUTRAL4GS. By implementing co-creation and co-design strategies between partners from the Global South and EU, the project aims to develop and test solutions inspired by nature for urban water management. This includes jointly working with i) different types of urban water (stormwater, greywater and wastewater), as well as with ii) a range of different treatment technologies combining nature-based solutions with supporting technological units (e.g., membranes, nanofiber biomass carriers, graphene-based nanocomposites, lightweight porous media or photocatalysis) that can be innovated for more sustainable or close to nature performance to deliver treated water and water for reuse. Holistic sustainability and economic assessments will guide the development and prioritization of technologies. Thus, NEUTRAL4GS will pioneer innovative solutions in water treatment, ensure social acceptance and adoption of technologies, and generate significant impacts in terms of societal, environmental, and public-health benefits. By garnering awareness and involving the local authorities and local community in the process, NEUTRAL4GS strive to ensure sustainability and long-term success of the project’s outcomes beyond its lifetime.