On May 20th, the City of Kranj (Slovenia) celebrated the official launch of its Urban Living Lab (ULL) as part of the European project CICADA4CE, which focuses on climate change adaptation in urban areas. The event opened with a welcome speech by Deputy Mayor Janez Černe and the presentation of the new Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the Gorenjska region.
The launch also served as a platform for synergies with the Interreg Danube project BE READY, addressing the growing issue of urban heat islands caused by climate change.
Stakeholders representing the “Quadruple Helix” model—public authorities, academia, businesses, and civil society—participated in a variety of interactive sessions:
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the official establishment of the Kranj ULL,
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a Climate Sandbox Workshop on urban heat islands,
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the presentation of the BE READY project’s UHI PLATFORM,
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a professional training on nature-based solutions and ecosystem services, and
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a workshop on green adaptation interventions in the CICADA4CE pilot area, Slovenski trg.
The event also facilitated meaningful exchanges with the Interreg URBIO BAUHAUS project, emphasizing the role of biodiversity in urban climate resilience. With its ULL, Kranj takes an important step toward developing sustainable, adaptive solutions to address the environmental challenges of the future.