Living Lab and NbS Working Group in Wejherowo

On 7 July 2026, a partners’ meeting of the CONE – Co-creating Nature-based Solutions for urban areas project took place in Wejherowo. The event provided an opportunity to review the progress achieved so far, exchange experiences, and discuss the next steps in implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

One of the key elements of the meeting was the Living Lab event – a “living laboratory”, where residents, local authorities, experts, and project partners jointly create and test solutions responding to local challenges.

As part of the Living Lab activities, participants planted vegetation together in the developing rain garden at Śmiechowska Street 8 in Wejherowo – the first NbS pilot implemented within the CONE project.

Not long ago, this area was an undeveloped space where challenges related to rainwater management had been identified. Thanks to the cooperation between the city, residents, and project partners, the site is being transformed into a green space demonstrating how nature-based solutions can support water retention and improve the quality of urban environments.

The rain garden will serve as a demonstration site, allowing Wejherowo residents to see in practice how NbS solutions work and what benefits they can bring to local communities. At the same time, it will represent an example of climate adaptation measures that can be applied in other urban areas.

“This is a pilot site, a so-called Living Lab, which will serve as a demonstration rain garden in Wejherowo. Everyone will be able to visit and see how such a solution works in practice. We hope that more similar initiatives will appear in the city in the future” – representatives of the City of Wejherowo emphasise.

During the event, residents had the opportunity to actively participate in creating the new green space. The joint activities were not only part of the pilot implementation process but also an example of the participatory approach that is one of the key principles of the CONE project.

NbS Working Group – cooperation and planning future activities

The meeting also included an NbS Working Group Meeting. It provided a platform to discuss the further development of nature-based solutions in Wejherowo and cooperation with local stakeholders.

Participants discussed, among others, the involvement of residents and local authorities in future activities, preparation of further pilot actions, and opportunities to use the experience gained during the project implementation. The discussions also focused on the synergistic activities planned within the CONE project for autumn 2026.

The meeting was attended by representatives of APC ERB, the City of Wejherowo, Politechnika Gdańska and invited guests.