The Local Action Plan and Strategy for Promoting Water Use for the Municipality of Braniewo, developed as part of the WaterMan project, has been adopted!

During the 17th session of the City Council in Braniewo, a resolution was passed on the Local Action Plan and Strategy for Promoting Water Use for the Municipality of Braniewo, developed as part of the WaterMan project, which crowns three years of work and joint efforts by the Polish team consisting of the Municipality of Braniewo, the Association of Municipalities of the Baltic Euroregion, and the Gdańsk University of Technology on the preparation of the above document and the implementation of support mechanisms in the local community. PKT 5 of the session included, among others:

Item 5 of the session included, among others:

Adoption of a resolution on the Local Action Plan and Strategy for Promoting Water Use for the Municipality of Braniewo, developed as part of the WaterMan project, including:

5.1. Presentation of the implementation of the WaterMan project.

5.2. Voting on a resolution on the Local Action Plan and Strategy for Promoting Water Use for the Municipality of Braniewo, developed as part of the WaterMan project.

The Local Action Plan and Strategy for Promoting Water Use for the Municipality of Braniewo will be an important tool in further planning and management of the city.

The above event is an excellent summary of the implementation of the three-year WaterMan program. It allowed us to look at water as a strategic resource of the city – in the context of development, safety, environmental protection, and quality of life of residents.

During the 17th session of the City Council in Braniewo, a resolution was passed regarding the Local Plan

Since January 1, 2023, the WaterMan project partners have been working together to find new ways to increase the resilience of local water supplies in the Baltic Sea region to climate change. The strategic goal was to add water recycling as a new element to local water management and introduce it into wider practice. The main result of the project is the “Water Recycling Toolkit.” It provides local authorities and water companies—which are key players in this field, and for most of them the topic is still new—with specific advice and tools to achieve this goal, taking into account the specific conditions of the Baltic Sea region.

The strategy has also resulted in a series of pilot projects in the city of Braniewo:

-Installation of a swimming pool water recovery system

-Construction of a rain garden – two sunken beds that collect rainwater from part of the parking lot by gravity, which will reduce the amount of water discharged into the sewage system and thus ensure water retention in the local landscape, planted with vegetation to improve the aesthetics of the area.

-Creation of a mathematical model of the Braniewo storm water drainage system with the possibility of applying climate scenarios to this model, which will enable the prediction of the effects of climate change and support potential adaptation measures. This is the so-called Extreme Weather Layer (EWL) model.

-and a wide range of educational and awareness-raising activities: trips, SferyLab training courses – experimental classes for representatives of local youth, and an inspirational and awareness-raising campaign.

This is an important step towards a resilient, conscious, and responsible city that manages water wisely—today and in the future.

Streets for the Youth project - day three - joint summaries and a look to the future

The last day of the SFY project partners' visit was a time for summarizing, exchanging experiences, and discussing how to develop cooperation in 2026.

The discussions focused on cooperation with Vital Cities and the tools used in local activities, what worked well, what needed to be adapted, and what support local governments will need in 2026.

At the same time, the young participants took part in a workshop on architecture and urban planning led by Zuzanna Kaczmarzyk, gaining knowledge about architecture and urban planning and a new perspective on public space in a broader social, cultural, and international context. The workshops helped them better understand that a city is not only buildings, but also relationships, residents' needs, and decisions that have a real impact on everyday life.

Three days of joint work, workshops, and meetings strengthened the cooperation between the partners and provided a solid foundation for further activities in 2026.

Streets for the Youth - study visit day 2 - workshops on how to conduct youth consultations

Erasmus+ Streets for the Youth Project - Living Cities and Streets for Young People - on the first day of the study visit to Poland, a conference entitled “CITIES OF THE FUTURE - URBAN PLANNING - OPEN DIALOGUE” was held.

The event brought together representatives of local governments, experts, and young people to look at how to create cities co-designed with young people.

The program included lectures on the role of public administration and architecture in shaping urban space and the participation of young people in urban planning. Good practices from the Vital Cities program were presented. This was followed by a walking workshop and testing of participatory tools in the urban space of Elbląg, where participants learned about tools for consulting with users (including the YET application), tested them in a selected area of the city, and discussed their potential applications in the local context.

Yesterday was an opportunity to exchange experiences, gain practical knowledge, and reflect together on how to effectively involve young people in the process of shaping urban space.

Streets for the Youth – study visit day 2 – workshops on how to conduct youth consultations

The Erasmus+ Streets for the Youth project – Living Cities and Streets for Youth – the second day of workshops with foreign delegations from France, Belgium, and Portugal was devoted to the topic “When and how to include youth consultations in planning processes?”

This time, we had the opportunity to work in the industrial spaces of the City Culture Institute in Gdańsk, where we discussed how to conduct youth consultations in a realistic, rather than just formal, manner and how to effectively involve young people in the planning and design of public spaces.
The first part of the day focused on when and how to involve young people in planning processes.
The Vital Cities team presented practical approaches to consultation, and participants learned about good practices from Poland, Portugal, France, and Belgium. We then worked in workshops, applying a 9-step method to a selected case of public space and discussing possible solutions.
Representatives of institutions, local governments, and organizations then participated in meetings devoted to urban consultations, engaging young people in projects, and cooperation with the education sector.

At the same time, young participants took part in a co-creation workshop entitled “City of Tomorrow.” The young people worked in groups on their visions of future urban spaces, sharing ideas, needs, and challenges they see in the cities where they live. The results of this work were then presented in the form of posters, sketches, and simple digital visualizations, which helped translate the ideas into concrete concepts. The workshop ended with a joint reflection, during which participants and facilitators considered what the presented ideas teach us about effectively engaging Generation Z and how to better design participatory processes with young people in mind.

WaterMan & ERB Water Core Group in Sweden

On November 25-27, 2025, Sweden hosted the WaterMan & ERB Water Core Group Dialogue Forum conference and a project consortium partner meeting.

On the first day, in Kalmar, a forum was held on water resilience in the Baltic Sea region and practical applications of water recycling – from reusing water from municipal networks, through recirculation in households and industrial plants, to rainwater harvesting and utilization. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the results of the Waterman project, discuss the directions of water recycling development, meet experts from six countries of the Baltic Sea region, and exchange experiences and practical tips on how to implement water recycling at the local level. In addition to inspiring presentations by the speakers, there was also time for discussions at posters presenting individual pilot projects.

On the second day of the event, study visits were organized in Kalmar and Västervik. Participants visited: a mobile wastewater recycling system used for irrigating green areas, a hospital in Kalmar – a wastewater recycling installation using a double pipe system, Kalmarsundsverket - a construction site for a new wastewater treatment plant and water recovery facility, a modern multi-dam system in the Kastrup area, and examples of smaller, local “mini-multi-dams” for rainwater retention and reuse were also presented. Each stop provided an opportunity to learn about the technical details and functioning of the systems directly from experts and local implementers.

The discussion part focused on how to increase the scale of water recovery in the Baltic Sea region. The project partners shared practical lessons and recommendations from the WaterMan project. Practical examples showed how innovative solutions can support sustainable water management in cities and coastal regions.

On the last day of the visit to Sweden, a partnership meeting of the WaterMan project consortium was held. It was an opportunity to summarize the cooperation to date, discuss the results of pilot activities, exchange conclusions, and look at the results of the project as a whole. The meeting participants had the opportunity to view multimedia materials showing how individual water recovery and reuse solutions were implemented in various pilot locations.

We also visited Naturum Västervik, a place that presents local ecosystems, the archipelago, and the aquatic environment in a very accessible way. This place combines exhibitions, photographs, and interactive elements that help visitors better understand the nature of the archipelago and the specific characteristics of the waters in this region. The visit provided a broader context for water resource conservation.

CONE – the idea of nature-based solutions

Nature as inspiration – local nature-based solutions!

Yesterday, as part of the CONE project Cities of Nature: Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Living Labs, a meeting was held at the City Hall in Wejherowo on how nature-based solutions can support urban development. During the discussions, the idea of Nature-Based Solutions was discussed, and the CONE and Circular Muse projects were presented, which show how to combine knowledge, education, and practice in pro-environmental activities. Participants learned about examples of local environmental initiatives from Wejherowo and the surrounding area, and then went out into the field—a walk through the planned pilot areas allowed them to see how NBS can really change urban space. The meeting was a space for exchanging experiences and inspiration, showing that a modern approach to the environment begins with local, well-planned actions.