On October 10th, 2024, EBOS, Gardens of the Future, and Municipality of Nicosia co-hosted a co-design focus working group on Demo 9 in Nicosia. The half-day event, held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, brought together approximately 20 professionals and experts from various fields—including agronomy, architecture, geology, engineering, landscape architecture, and urban planning—who actively and enthusiastically participated.
The event began with a warm welcome from Mrs. Myria Pilakouta, Municipal Secretary of the Municipality of Nicosia, followed by an overview of the CARDIMED project’s vision, partnership, and goals delivered by Dr. Kleanthis Erotokritou.
Dr. Natasa Christou facilitated the entire workshop, guiding participants through the various stages of discussion and engagement. The main objective of the session was to gather valuable feedback on the development of digital tools within the CARDIMED project. These tools are designed to assist local and regional authorities in planning, managing, and monitoring Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban environments, while also enhancing public engagement and raising awareness of sustainable urban practices.
Mr. Kyriakos Kandris then introduced the four digital tools under development, focusing on key areas such as NBS impact assessment, climate resilience dashboards, citizen engagement applications, and the transferability of solutions across different regions.
As the workshop moved into specific discussions on the digital tools, Dr. Kleanthis Erotokritou facilitated the sessions on Digital Tools 1 and 4, which covered NBS impact assessment and the transferability platform. Meanwhile, Dr. Natasa Christou led the sessions on Digital Tools 2 and 3, focusing on the climate resilience dashboard and the citizen engagement app. Participants actively engaged in interactive sessions, providing valuable feedback on the tools’ usability, strengths, and areas for improvement.
In addition to these structured sessions, participants contributed their ideas during group discussions and brainstorming sessions, offering insights on how to optimize the digital tools. The feedback collected will be instrumental in refining these tools to better meet the needs of local authorities and communities. The session concluded with group presentations summarizing the feedback, followed by a light lunch and informal discussions.
