Green spaces are more than just aesthetic enhancements. They are crucial for social cohesion, climate resilience, and urban well-being. MedCities is launching NATURIncMed, an ambitious initiative within the framework of Masar Al’an, the regional program for the Arabic world, funded by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID). Over the next two years, the project will empower three municipalities—Madaba (Jordan), El Mina (Lebanon), and Gabès (Tunisia)—with the expertise and resources needed to transform urban infrastructure into a greener, more inclusive, and climate-resilient space.

Cities across the Mediterranean are facing growing challenges related to climate change, quick urbanization, and social disparities. NATURIncMed aims to tackle these issues by providing cities with technical support, participatory tools, and capacity-building initiatives to rethink public spaces more sustainably and inclusively, reflecting the needs of all citizens. By integrating social inclusion and climate adaptation strategies into urban planning, municipalities will make their cities more liveable and more resilient to climate change and socio-economic pressures.

NATURIncMed is committed to transforming cities by integrating green infrastructure with social inclusion. To achieve this, the three pilot cities will conduct a participatory diagnosis to assess local opportunities to design green spaces. Urban planners will then support them in selecting strategic intervention sites and designing public spaces that are both ecologically and socially sustainable.

Among the key activities in the design of green solutions, there are:

• Engaging communities in defining urban priorities through local participatory processes.
• Design of pilot projects to actually transform public spaces into green, inclusive areas.
• Establishing long-term urban sustainability roadmaps to ensure lasting impact and replication.
• Delivering targeted training programs to equip municipal staff with skills in urban resilience planning, water management, GIS mapping, and social inclusion strategies, among others.

Building sustainable cities is not a solitary effort; it requires collaboration and mutual learning. to strengthen regional collaboration and shared knowledge, NATURIncMed will foster this through a dynamic Mediterranean micro-network, in which the 3 pilot cities engage in exchanges on urban resilience.

The key knowledge-sharing activities include:

• Virtual discussions on urban resilience and inclusive planning, facilitated by expert moderators.
• Technical visits to a Mediterranean city that has successfully implemented green urban projects.
• Participation in the 2025 Barcelona Academy for Mediterranean Municipalities (BAMM), an executive training for municipal knowledge exchange that will specifically focus on urban resilience.
• Public engagement campaigns to ensure citizen participation and ownership of green projects.
• Publications and audiovisual materials documenting the project’s progress, challenges, and lessons learned.

The project will culminate in an international workshop, bringing cities together to reflect on progress, share insights, and reinforce commitments to inclusive, green urban planning.

So far, two kick-off meetings have been scheduled with Madaba and El Mina municipalities, while one with Gabès is on the way. MedCities as project coordinator and the pilot cities have discussed and agreed on the work plan for the first year, identifying key areas where external or local expertise will be needed and understanding the municipalities’ priorities to tailor capacity-building programs effectively.