The third gathering of the Green Living Areas Mission’s Thematic Community (Interreg Euro-Med) took place this week in Athens, bringing together key stakeholders from across the Mediterranean to advance the transition toward greener and more resilient territories. The two-day event, co-hosted by the Region of Western Greece, gathered policymakers, technical experts, academics, and private sector representatives to strengthen collaboration and foster a shared vision.

The first day opened with institutional remarks highlighting the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling environmental and urban challenges. This was followed by a dynamic session where thematic projects presented their most representative solutions in short pitches, showcasing innovative approaches developed under the Green Living Areas framework. Participants also engaged in thematic working groups to enhance collaboration among the 25 projects and explore how to transfer successful solutions to other Mediterranean regions.

In the afternoon, a series of training sessions provided practical tools to participants. Topics included integrating the principles of the New European Bauhaus into urban planning, developing effective lobbying strategies to scale up solutions, and improving pitching skills to attract investment and funding. A team-building activity later in the day encouraged informal networking and strengthened connections within the community.

The second day featured a keynote speech by Germana Di Falco, who stressed the need to move beyond pilot initiatives and embed Green Living Areas into long-term territorial policies, particularly in the context of the European Union’s post-2027 framework. Discussions also focused on the Ecosystemic Transition Hub (ETU), presented as a key platform to support the transfer and uptake of project results and to foster synergies with broader European initiatives, such as the EU Mission on Climate Adaptation.

The event concluded with a policy session on climate change and a forward-looking discussion outlining next steps for the community. Overall, the gathering reinforced the importance of cooperation and knowledge-sharing in accelerating the transition toward sustainable living environments across the Mediterranean.

Have a read about what the thematic projects said about it!