On March 26, 2026, the kick-off event for the German-Polish project UCR Trialogue – Urban Climate Resilience Trialogue took place: jointly organized by The Future Living, Instytut Ekologii Terenów Uprzemysłowionych, and the Universität Zielona Góra. The event was titled “Resilient Urban Landscapes: Mitigating Heat, Retaining Water, Strengthening Diversity.”
Climate adaptation in the city: practical, scientifically grounded, jointly designed
The event focused on the question of how cities, in the face of increasing heat stress and changing precipitation patterns, can further develop their green and open spaces in a way that mitigates climate risks, better retains water, and simultaneously promotes biodiversity. This is precisely where UCR Trialogue comes in: The project thrives on the trialogue between municipalities, academia, and citizens—that is, on a joint, transdisciplinary development process that systematically brings together knowledge from practice, research, and civil society.
The kick-off event took place at the Leibniz-Institut für Raumbezogene Sozialforschung (IRS) in Erkner in Erkner. Following four expert presentations, there was a walking tour of the city led by Carola Stein, head of the urban planning team for the City of Erkner. During the tour, participants learned a great deal about local conditions in Erkner, climate protection measures already implemented, and the city’s further plans for climate-adapted urban development. Stops along the tour included the current construction work on Friedrichstraße, selected locations along the planned Erkner Green Belt, the newly built Bike&Ride facility at the train station, and the large Park&Ride lot with the bus station.
Following the city tour, the discussion continued in greater depth in the event rooms. The conference and the city tour were conducted bilingually (German/Polish).
Network Collaboration
In addition to the project partners TFL, IETU, and UZ, the event was organized in cooperation with other regional stakeholders, including Wohnungsgesellschaft Erkner mbH, the Hoffnungstaler Stiftung Lobetal and the IRS, which served as the venue and scientific partner.
Project Context: UCR Trialogue (Interreg Brandenburg–Poland)
UCR Trialogue is a cross-border project under the Interreg Brandenburg–Polska 2021–2027 program (Project No. BBPL0300096) and runs from November 1, 2025, to October 31, 2028. The goal is to develop methods and practical approaches for climate-resilient urban green space design and to test them in Erkner and Zielona Góra.
