Conference

Cities Talk Nature Conference: Unlocking the potential of underutilised urban areas

Discover how to unlock the potential of underutilised urban areas at the Cities Talk Nature Conference in Chemnitz, Germany on 11-12 May 2023

From the 11 May 2023 to the 12 May 2023 Chemnitz, Saxony Germany

Urban nature has the potential to provide many benefits for society and the environment. As an example, urban green and blue can reduce the negative impacts of heat waves and heavy rainfall events. This makes the creation and protection of urban spaces for nature indispensable in the context of the climate and biodiversity crises.

Underutilised spaces such as brownfields, abandoned industrial areas, oversized roads and parking lots as well as roofs and facades of buildings offer a unique opportunity to increase the share of urban nature. However, such transformations are often associated with challenges.

The City of Chemnitz, upcoming cultural capital of Europe, in cooperation with Climate Alliance and Ecologic Institute invites you to a two-day conference on how to achieve such a green transition in cities. Topics include: enabling policy and governance frameworks, identification of key actors within city administrations, how to foster cross-sectoral collaboration and citizen participation, financing options, managing conflicts of interest and potential trade-offs between green and grey options for different stakeholders. The conference targets municipal actors and practitioners interested in tapping into the potential of underutilised areas to expand urban nature.


The conference is free of charge. Participation is possible on-site only. The conference will be held in English, German and Spanish with simultaneous translation. There is a limited contingent of participants.