During the Congress, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr Christie Godsmark and Kendall Visco from the School of Public Health, University College Cork. Their presence at the Congress provided an opportunity not only to present the outcomes of our cooperation to date, but also to further exchange experiences in the fields of healthy cities, green infrastructure and socially embedded urban innovations.
During a joint poster session presenting the outcomes of twelve projects implemented in this year’s edition of Science Hub UniLodz (UNIC), and the accompanying discussion panel “Badajmy i zmieniajmy razem miasto” [Let’s explore and transform the city together], we demonstrated how the post‑industrial cities of Łódź and Cork – despite their different paths of urban development – face similar challenges related to urban regeneration and climate change.
The project presents two complementary approaches to urban greenery. In Łódź, the starting point was grassroots civic activity, exemplified by the community‑driven Mapa Drzew Łodzi [Łódź Tree Map], developed since 2022. Thanks to the involvement of residents, we now have detailed data on nearly 100,000 trees. Social data combined with GIS analyses made it possible to develop a tool supporting the assessment of the value and significance of trees in urban space. The implementation of a new functionality of the Łódź Tree Map constituted the main objective of the project. In Cork, in turn, urban greenery is analysed primarily from the perspective of public health and the Healthy Cities concept.
The topics addressed within the project strongly resonate with the discussions held during the Congress – including those devoted to climate resilience of cities, residents’ quality of life, green transformation and the use of data and social participation in urban policies. The meeting also demonstrated the important role that partnerships between universities, social organisations and local communities can play in processes of health‑oriented urban regeneration. We would like to thank the Congress organisers for creating a space for inspiring discussions, exchange of experiences and the development of international cooperation concerning the future of cities.
More about the Congress: Healthy Urban Regeneration Congress
Science Hub UniLodz
Science Hub UniLodz (SH) is a cooperation platform of the University of Lodz, which connects students, university experts and external entities, supporting them in the implementation of innovative scientific and implementation projects. Teams operating within SH cooperate to address real‑world scientific challenges submitted by partner organisations.
More about Science Hub
Partners of the poster session and discussion panel: International Urban Regeneration Congress, Open Eyes Economy Summit (OEES), GAP Foundation, University of Lodz Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Studies, University of Lodz Centre for Brand Communications (poster design: Hanna Swaczyna), University of Lodz International Relations Office, Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University, University of Lodz.
The Science Hub UniLodz competition – UNIC edition is a part of the “We are UNIC!” project. The “We are UNIC!” project is funded by the European Union under the “Support for European University Alliances” programme, project NAWA FERS.01.05-IP.08-0219/23, amount: PLN 62,705,297.60.
