Climate Quilts brings biodiversity to urban landscapes

The European project Climate Quilts transforms neglected areas in urban landscapes into interconnected green spaces. Researchers, artists, students and residents will join forces to co-create green "quilts" on vacant plots to enhance biodiversity, resilience and social cohesion in pioneering ways. Thanks to a grant of Driving Urban Transitions (DUT), the project will launch at the end of this year.

Photo: Julia de Jong 

A series of ten by ten meter mini-gardens will be created in the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia, and Sweden in collaboration with city councils, academic institutions and social organisations. These mini-gardens will serve as individual patches within larger green quilts, each designed and maintained by diverse communities. These quilts will function as micro-ecosystems aimed at improving ecological health, fostering community engagement and boosting urban resilience. 

By connecting people with nature and each other, the project fosters a sense of belonging and stewardship. Through educational activities, co-creation and participatory design, it not only beautifies urban spaces but also regenerates and conserves biodiversity, ensuring sustainable and resilient urban landscapes for future generations. 

Researchers involved in the project are lecturer-researcher Gloria Maria Cavalieri (project leader) and Dr. Imogen Humphris (Professorship Art & Sustainability, Research Centre Art & Society). Within Hanze Univeristy of Applied Sciences, they collaborate with researchers of NoorderRuimte (Research Centre for Built Environment) and with UNESCO Chair Futures Literacy. Additional partners include Terra MBO, Palermo University (Università degli Studi di Palermo), Estonian University of Life Sciences (Eesti Maaülikool), Blivande (Sweden) and more.