Podcast: Nature's comeback to Mechelen - with Michiel Van Mele and Maarten De Jonge
In the latest co-hosted episode of the Cities Reimagined and Urban Voices podcasts, city ecologist Michiel van Mele and Maarten de Jonge, Head of the Lab Department at the Flanders Environmental Agency, discuss how Mechelen is improving water quality, restoring habitats, and reconnecting residents with the more-than-human city.
The City of Mechelen is transforming its historic river, the Binnendijle, into a driver of urban sustainability and biodiversity. Once polluted and neglected, the river is now at the centre of the Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces (WATSUPS) project, a New European Bauhaus demonstrator funded by the European Urban Initiative.
Their insights show how urban biodiversity and water management can be integrated into the daily life of a medium-sized European city, offering lessons for other municipalities working towards nature-positive and climate-resilient urban futures.
▶️ Listen on Spotify - Click here
🍏 Listen on Apple Podcasts - Click here
📺 Listen on YouTube - Click here
For further resources, see podcast episodes and articles on Mechelen’s transformation on Portico:
-
Reimagining Mechelen Pt. 1 – Water as the Source of Urban Public Space with Nicole La Iacona
-
Analytical Article: Otters in the old town?!
-
Urban Diary: Mechelen and the River Dijle: A city rediscovering its treasure
About this resource
The European Urban Initiative is an essential tool of the urban dimension of Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. The initiative established by the European Union supports cities of all sizes, to build their capacity and knowledge, to support innovation and develop transferable and scalable innovative solutions to urban challenges of EU relevance.
Similar content
