Dundalk joins a City-to-City Exchange Webinar organised by the project JUSTNature

On June 17, 2025, Ursula Conlon from Louth City Council, and representative for our Pilot City for Dundalk, took part in an Online Multilateral City Exchange Workshop organise by the project JUSTNature.

The event brought together city representatives, urban practitioners, and sustainability experts from across Europe in a collaborative effort to share experiences about the adoption of Nature-based Solutions.

The exchange focused on:

• Strengthening cross-city ties and networks,
• Facilitating open knowledge sharing, and
• Catalysing new learnings to support urban climate action.

Ursula presented our Dundalk Pilot, and the value of creating multifunctional public spaces that are accessible year-round and meet the needs of a diverse community. Ursula detailed the implementation process, which was not without its challenges. Engaging stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic proved difficult, particularly when transitioning to virtual platforms for outreach and consultation. Legal issues related to land ownership also required redesigning and negotiation. Additionally, incorporating and managing a complex system of environmental sensors presented technical hurdles, especially for a local authority with limited previous experience in data systems. Despite these obstacles, the project was a notable success. It fostered a strong sense of community ownership, increased public usage of the site significantly, and set a precedent for more inclusive, resilient urban design. The site was also recognized nationally for its accessibility and inclusive features.

The cities of Pécs and Budapest also presented their experiences.

Some of the main take-aways and shared themes across cities were:

• Community engagement is crucial for both implementation and long-term maintenance.
• Technical, legal, and climate barriers are common but manageable through collaboration.
• Digital tools (e.g., sensors) add value but require support and training.
• Political will and institutional collaboration (e.g., universities, NGOs) are key enablers.

The exchange created a space for cities to identify shared challenges and explore replicable, scalable solutions together!

Some of the main take-aways and shared themes across cities were:

• Community engagement is crucial for both implementation and long-term maintenance.
• Technical, legal, and climate barriers are common but manageable through collaboration.
• Digital tools (e.g., sensors) add value but require support and training.
• Political will and institutional collaboration (e.g., universities, NGOs) are key enablers.

The exchange not only highlighted proven practices but also created a space for cities to identify shared challenges and explore replicable, scalable solutions together.