BlueGreen Governance brings together universities, research institutes and planning organisations to advance governance approaches for blue-green infrastructure across Europe and beyond. The project is organised around a strong consortium, a clear division of roles, and a structured, stepwise workflow.
Consortium and Roles
The BlueGreen Governance consortium consists of 15 project partners from different countries and governance contexts. Together, they combine expertise in governance, climate adaptation, spatial planning, and environmental research.
Project Coordination
- The University of Valencia (ES) acts as Project Coordinator and is responsible for overall project management, strategic coordination, communication with the funding body, and ensuring coherence across all work packages.
- The University of Portsmouth (UK) serves as Scientific Coordinator, safeguarding scientific quality, methodological consistency and integration of research outputs across the project.
Academic and Research Partners
The following universities and research centres contribute to the scientific core of the project. They develop conceptual frameworks, conduct comparative governance analyses and lead thematic research tasks:
- KU Leuven – Public Governance Institute (BE)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- University Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Radboud University (NL)
- University of Reunion Island (FR)
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (SE)
- Tartu Ülikool – University of Tartu (EE)
- Open University (NL)
Climate and Environmental Research Expertise
Specialised climate and environmental research organisations contribute system-level analysis, climate scenarios and environmental governance expertise:
- Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) (IT)
- Centro Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (IT)
- Norsk Institutt for Vannforskning (NIVA) (NO)
Planning, Policy and Practice Partners
Practice-oriented and policy-focused partners ensure that the project remains grounded in real-world governance challenges and planning practice:
- Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (SI)
- KOFY (FR)
These partners contribute case studies, support stakeholder engagement, and help translate research findings into practical governance guidance.
Project Phases and Workflow
1. Conceptual Framework and Scoping
The project starts with the development of a shared conceptual framework for blue-green governance. Key governance concepts, challenges and analytical perspectives are defined.
2. Case Study Selection and Analysis
Case studies from different geographical, institutional and socio-political contexts are selected. These cases are analysed to understand governance arrangements, stakeholder roles, policy instruments and implementation dynamics.
3. Comparative Governance Analysis
Insights from individual case studies are compared across regions and governance levels. This phase identifies common patterns, barriers and enabling conditions for effective blue-green governance.
4. Stakeholder Engagement and Co-creation
Policymakers, planners, practitioners and other stakeholders are actively involved through workshops, interviews and interactive sessions in the case studies. Their input helps refine analyses and co-develop solutions.
5. Development of Governance Tools and Recommendations
Based on the research and stakeholder input, the project develops governance tools, policy recommendations and practical guidance to support the planning and implementation of blue-green infrastructure.
6. Dissemination and Impact
Project results are disseminated through reports, policy briefs, academic publications, workshops and the project website, with a strong focus on usability and uptake by policymakers and practitioners.