Local Voices for Sustainability

How Grenoble is using street design to reshape everyday life

What if the journey to school could make cities healthier, safer and more social? In this episode, we head to Grenoble to explore how rethinking streets around schools can transform everyday urban life. Edwin Hatton, Project Manager for Grenoble City Council, and Lysa Sérot, intern with the city’s Public Space Planning team, take us inside the 'Breath of School' [https://iclei-europe.org/news/?City_of_Grenoble_wins_2025_Local_Sustainability_Award_with_transformative_redesign_of_school_areas_&newsID=9y6vvch4] project — winner of ICLEI Europe's Local Sustainability Award [https://award.iclei-europe.org/] in 2025. Together, they reveal how child-friendly urban planning can strengthen climate resilience, improve quality of life and inspire cities far beyond Grenoble.

How Athens is using AI to detect and fight forest fires

As heatwaves intensify and wildfire risks grow, cities on the urban-forest edge face mounting climate pressure. In this episode, we head to Athens to explore how data, AI and collaboration help the city detect wildfire threats before flames appear. Vangelis Marinakis from the National Technical University of Athens and Lina Magoula from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens take us inside the DRYADS project [https://dryads.scanlab.gr/], where environmental data, smart monitoring and research partnerships come together to strengthen forest resilience and protect nearby neighbourhoods.

How Nantes is planting a sustainable future in its soil

Is soil just dirt – or one of a city’s most critical assets? In this episode, we head to Nantes to uncover how soil underpins climate resilience, biodiversity, and urban growth. Director of Territorial Strategy, Clément Le Bras-Thomas, reveals why putting soil at the heart of planning could transform Europe’s cities. Learn more about the SPADES project [https://spades4soils.eu/] and the impact it is having in cities like Nantes and Gothenburg, and regions like Transylvania and Lombardy.

How a historic Portuguese city is reinventing itself for a changing climate

When climate risk meets cultural heritage, cities have to make choices. In this episode, we head to Guimarães to find out how one of Europe’s oldest cities is rewriting its relationship with nature. Carlos Ribeiro, President of the Landscape Lab, takes us behind the scenes of fire prevention, riverbed restoration, and a green strategy that connects city, landscape, and community — just as Guimarães steps into the spotlight as European Green Capital [https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/urban-environment/european-green-capital-award/winning-cities/guimaraes-2026_en] and host of the European Urban Resilience Forum [https://urbanresilienceforum.eu/]. Check out Guimarães' Mapa Verde (Green Map) here [https://labpaisagem.pt/publicacoes/mapa-verde-guimaraes/].

How Paris is growing into a garden city

Paris is transforming into a greener, more liveable city—one street and biodiversity corridor at a time. In this episode, we sit down with Celeste Rouberol from the City of Paris about how the French capital is reimagining urban life through nature, from its ambitious Biodiversity Plan to new community-led green spaces. Learn about Paris' role as a Lighthouse City in the UNP+ project, here [https://urbannatureplans.eu/pilot-cities/paris-france]. Learn about the EU's Nature Restoration Regulation, here [https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-regulation_en].