CARDIMED Conference 2026: Bringing Urban Rivers Back to Life
The CARDIMED Conference 2026 – Bringing Urban Rivers Back to Life was successfully held at Bar Beton in Utrecht, bringing together more than 150 participants from over 30 countries.
Over the course of two days, researchers, practitioners, urban planners, policymakers, artists and community representatives explored ways to restore and regenerate urban waterways.
Discussions focused on Nature-based Solutions, innovative governance and planning approaches, and the importance of reconnecting communities with water in urban environments.
The programme included plenary discussions, interactive Seed Sessions, artistic co-creation activities and field visits. Participants exchanged knowledge and experiences from Europe and beyond, while also contributing to the development of a collective Manifesto for Bringing Rivers Back to Life.
The Sanitary Engineering Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, represented by Professor Simos Malamis, contributed to the conference and to the wider dialogue on urban river restoration, climate adaptation and resilient cities.
The conference was organised in collaboration with Pathways to Sustainability – Utrecht University, The Nature of Cities and the NATURA Network.
Further insights, key messages and highlights from the conference will be shared soon.
