URBAN stands for Understanding the Recovery of Biodiversity and Animal Networks. Funded by the Interreg North - West Europe programme, this project brings together seven European cities—including Limerick—and five expert research institutions. Our shared goal? To fix the "fragmentation" of our city’s nature.
What is Project URBAN?
URBAN stands for Understanding the Recovery of Biodiversity and Animal Networks. Funded by the Interreg North - West Europe programme, this project brings together seven European cities—including Limerick—and five expert research institutions. Our shared goal? To fix the "fragmentation" of our city’s nature.
As cities grow, parks and gardens often become isolated "islands" separated by roads, walls, and buildings. Project URBAN works to reconnect these spaces, creating a seamless network that allows wildlife to travel, feed, and thrive across the city.
How We Are Helping Nature Move
The project focuses on four critical layers of our environment,
- The Air: Improving routes for bats.
- The Canopy: Linking treetops to help species like squirrels move without touching the ground.
- The Ground: Creating "Hedgehog Highways"
- The Water: Restoring blue links for aquatic life and semi-aquatic mammals.
Why This Matters for Limerick
Through Project URBAN, Limerick is testing practical, nature-based solutions—from "wildlife bridges" to community-led garden schemes—to see what works best for our local biodiversity.
By restoring these animal networks, we are not just helping wildlife; we are making Limerick a cooler, greener, and more resilient city for all its residents. This project is a key action under the Limerick Biodiversity Action Plan 2025–2030 and supports our vision of a nature-inclusive future.
Project at a Glance
- Lead Partner: Municipality of Hilversum (Netherlands)
- Funding: Interreg North - West Europe (NWE)
- Duration: 2025 – 2029
- Objective: To restore ecological connectivity and increase urban biodiversity across North - West Europe.
Project partners
- Municipality of Hilversum (NL) - lead partner of the project,
- Municipality of Rotterdam (NL),
- City of Bruxelles (BE),
- Natuurpunt Beheer (BE),
- Stadsbestuur Genk, and associate partner the Province of Limburg (BE),
- Limerick City and County Council (IE),
- University College Dublin (IE),
- UniLaSalle - Institut Politechnique, and associate partners Groupe Mammalogique Breton and Rennes Métropole (FR),
- Ile-de-France Nature, and associate partners Atelier Médicis and La Société des Grands Projets (FR),
- Administration communale de la Ville d’Ettelbruck (L),
- University of Applied Science Western Switzerland, and associate partners Ville de Geneve, Yverdon-les-Bains en MUZOO (CH),
- Ruhr University Bochum (DE).
Supported by Interreg North - West Europe
Project URBAN is made possible through the generous support of Interreg North - West Europe (NWE). As a major transnational funding programme of the European Union, Interreg NWE is dedicated to making our regions greener, more connected, and more inclusive.
By investing in Project URBAN, Interreg NWE is empowering Limerick to collaborate with leading European experts and cities. This support allows us to move beyond local boundaries, sharing knowledge and resources to tackle the global challenge of biodiversity loss. Together, we are building a more sustainable and nature-friendly future for all citizens across North - West Europe.
