Welcome to the TRANS-lighthouses Project Community!

The TRANS-lighthouses project aims to understand the strengths and limitations in the design and implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS). As a project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, TRANS-lighthouses strengthens socio-politics as part of the public agenda for NBS towards systemic change.

TRANS-lighthouses
Consortium meeting, Cáceres

From October 28 to 30, 2024, the historic city of Cáceres, Spain, hosted the TRANS-lighthouses third in-person Consortium Meeting. Hosted by the University of Extremadura (UEx), with support from the Centre for Social Studies (CES), the gathering counted with of 46 participants representing 18 different institutions from across Europe.

Youth Gathering in Trento

From July 9th to 12th, Jangada&Viração convened a group of 25 youth from across Europe in Trento for a training aimed at establishing an international  youth TRANS-lighthouses community. This community will utilise digital channels to showcase how local communities implement NBS in their respective regions.

Local Democracy Labs

Fostering dialogue between policymakers and leading academic experts is a cornerstone of the TRANS-lighthouses project's approach to driving societal change. To this end, the project has facilitated a series of innovative Local Democracy Labs, runned by the ICDL, between June and September 2024.

Blogpost

Lighting the Way: Transforming Communities with Nature-Based Solutions

“As the world faces complex environmental and social challenges, reconnecting with nature has become more crucial than ever. That’s why projects like "More than Green: Lighthouses of Transformative Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)" are shining a light on the role of nature in transforming communities.

But what exactly are these "Lighthouses"? Let’s dive in and explore how eight pilot projects across Europe are engaging with nature to address both global and local challenges, from climate change to social inequality.”

Review Meeting

The partners are currently working on the reporting of the progress made during the first 18 months. This process allows us to assess our achievements, identify challenges, and plan for the future. Following this, a hybrid review meeting will be held in Brussels, coordinated by the REA Project Officer and supported by external reviewers.

Technical visit in Brussels

Partners will explore Pilot and Assessment Cases in Brussels, January 23. This visit promises valuable insights into Brussels' approaches to sustainable water and climate management, including a visit to BXL2 School, a tour of the Verregat neighborhood and Heysel plateau, and visit sites to learn about innovative rainwater management and NBS.

Co-creation activities in the Living Knowledge(s) Labs 

We are very proud of the progress of our Pilot cases. Sharing practices and knowledges carefully and sensibly in the last 18 months, enabled our Pilots to develop a sound plan for the co-creation phase that is starting now in most cases.

Strovolos’ Pilot Case

In this blog post, the Cyprus Institute team shares their efforts to foster interactive engagement with the Strovolos community and highlight the growing interest in the TRANS-lighthouses approach to community involvement in urban development, particularly through the lens of nature-based solutions.

Barcelos’ Pilot Case

Between December 2024 and February 2025, the Municipality of Barcelos is promoting information sessions for parents at the three pilot schools to promote the “Playground is Nature” pilot case and discuss the importance of outdoor play in nature for children’s development.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under Grant Agreement No. 101084628. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.