Innovation

Interreg CH-IT VERDEVALE

Innovative methods for the management and improvement of urban green and ecosystem services


VERDEVALE is an innovative project that aims to establish a community of cross-border best practices between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local authorities for the management and enhancement of urban green areas. In particular, the project focuses on the in-depth analysis of ecosystem services provided by shrubs, playing the role of important allies for the mitigation of urban climate.

The project, involving the cities of Bolzano (IT) and Lugano (CH) as partners and pilot sites, confronts the environmental challenges of our times in places characterised by strong anthropization and high vulnerability to the effects of climate change. As such, it's a priority to develop innovative approaches to making Alpine cities resilient and to have a positive effect on the quality of life of citizens in these areas.

VERDEVALE focus:

  • Identify a sustainable methodology to collect and update urban green data for an adequate assessment of ecosystem services;
  • Carry out a census of urban green in the two partner cities by using the new methodology characterised both by innovative technologies and by the structuring of the collected data. The methodology involves the environmental and economic quantification of Ecosystem Services;
  • Upgrade the GIS management platform, already in use in the two partner cities, so as to implement the new data model and develop necessary functionalities for the quantification of ecosystem services.

Provide maximum visibility of environmental results to the citizens.

R3GIS, in addition to being the project lead partner, has played a role in the development and updating of the common GreenSpaces GIS platform for an efficient management of urban green. Because GreenSpaces is in use on both sides of the border, the project results are more easily replicable in other cities of the cross-border mountain territory.

A further aspect of the functions carried out by Urban Green is particularly relevant in the Alpine context in which the project takes place - the project aims to make the Alpine region sustainable and attractive not only from an environmental but also economic point of view, by improving the competitiveness of companies operating in the area. Businesses in the green management sector can increase their competitiveness through the enhancement of ecosystem services that urban greenery offers to the city.

The Interreg VerdeVale project shares knowledge on the value of urban green areas with citizens. Check out the public portals:

Public Portal of Lugano Public Portal of Bolzano

Name: INTERREG IT-CH VERDEVALE

Financing programme: INTERREG

Project partners: R3GIS (Lead Partner), City of Lugano, City of Bolzano, Benicchio, Demetra.

Duration: 04/2019 - 07/2022

For more information on the VERDEVALE project and the latest updates, visit www.verdevale.eu.

Operation co-funded by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund, the Italian Government and the Swiss Confederation and Cantons as part of the Interreg V-A Italy-Switzerland Cooperation Programme.