The European cities involved
Romania
Bucharest Living Lab
The Bucharest Living Lab is funded by the UEFiscdi Agency and under the management of the University of Bucharest. The Living Lab in Bucharest will not be situated in an urban setting, but rather, it will be a collaboration of local peri-urban farms. The primary goals are to restructure the existing farms in peri-urban regions and to cultivate best practices for the sustainable development of resilient and inclusive urban food systems. In practical terms, various farmers will receive support to transform their current management and organization to become more circular (for example, through composting and waste re-use within the Living Lab), more efficient (by sharing best practices), and more inclusive (both in terms of connecting to urban markets and incorporating vulnerable individuals into the workforce).
To achieve this, the Living Lab will collaborate with the farmers to develop an action plan for the growth of agricultural areas. The goal is to reach and incorporate vulnerable communities and delivering fresh and processed products to urban consumers.
Cyprus
Strovolos Living Lab
The Strovolos Living Lab is funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation. The management of this initiative is a collaborative effort between VL Sustainability Metrics, Strovolos Municipality, and the KES Research Centre. Established in 1986, Strovolos is the second largest Municipality in Cyprus.
The Lab is located in the Acropolis Park in a semi-arid urban environment. The facilities include a greenhouse, raised beds and planter boxes, and a shade net house, a shaded area for meetings, presentations, and rest. All these are part of our commitment to creating a sustainable and productive environment. The target group is low-income families, elderly, mentally or physically challenged and migrants (MENA region; Syria).
The Lab is committed to organic agriculture and is in the process of obtaining organic certification.
The Lab has a yearly plan for plant growth, which includes more than 30 options. In addition to food crops, we also plan to grow ornamental plants, adding beauty to productivity.
Greece
Drama Living Lab
The Drama Living Lab is a collaborative initiative funded by General Secretariat for Research and Innovation and managed by the Democritus University of Thracia and Geri Lab, with the support of the Ladies Union of Drama.
We encourage citizens to engage in urban gardening and implement effective waste management practices for the gardening areas. Our aim is to foster a sustainable and eco-friendly community.
The efforts are particularly focused on vulnerable groups in Drama, including women, dropped-out youth, and migrants. Our initiative brings fresh produce to the community, offering an opportunity for citizens to connect with nature. The Living Lab aims to revive the gardens, transforming them into vibrant, productive spaces.
We provide knowledge transfer and training to equip our community with the skills needed for successful urban gardening.
Our team works to improve production methods and crop choices. We experiment with various techniques such as watering, mulching, and composting organic waste to enhance productivity.
