Transforming Urban Streetscapes into Nature-based Spaces for People and Biodiversity

Research Project, 2026 – 2028

Cities are facing a new wave of complex challenges—including climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, resource inefficiency, and growing socio-economic inequalities—that call for a fundamental shift in how urban spaces are planned and managed.
REROAD aims to enable the transformation of streets with high pedestrian flow into multifunctional public spaces by integrating green and blue infrastructure, circular economy principles, and nature-based solutions (NbS). The project will use spatial analysis (GIS) to identify streets with the highest potential for transformation and will combine ecological and social functions with transport needs. Environmental mapping, modeling, and monitoring will ensure that biodiversity and ecosystem services are embedded in the street design process. Circular urban business models will support cities in reusing materials, recycling green waste, and aligning NbS with existing maintenance plans. Three Urban Living Labs—in Bolzano, Coimbra, and Granada—will involve local communities in co-developing street transformations that balance mobility, accessibility, equity, and ecosystem health. The final result will be a masterplan that promotes a biocentric, just, and circular approach to urban street design, helping cities rethink and reshape their public spaces from a systemic perspective.