BIG4LIFE offers UdL students a space to rethink urban environments and make them greener and healthier
Imagining cooler cities, full of life and designed for everyone’s well-being is the starting point of the new course “Renaturalizing the City” at the University of Lleida. This program invites students to look at urban spaces with fresh eyes and discover how nature can transform the way we live, move, and connect with one another.
The course, organized by the project coordinators Gabriel Pérez and Laura Herrera, provides a practical introduction to urban renaturalization and the potential of nature-based solutions. Over the span of 3 ECTS, participants will explore how green roofs and façades can reduce urban heat islands, improve air quality, and create healthier, more inclusive spaces.
The training places special emphasis on climate inequality, a phenomenon that affects neighborhoods and people unevenly. Rising temperatures have a stronger impact on young people, older adults, and vulnerable groups, and the course examines how renaturalization can contribute to a fairer and more resilient city. This perspective aligns directly with BIG4LIFE’s goals, which promote strategies to enhance urban quality of life through biodiversity and green infrastructure.
Classes will take place on Wednesdays, from February 18 to May 15, from 1 to 3 p.m., and include an optional field trip to Barcelona on April 16, 2026. Enrollment is free for UdL students.
With this initiative, BIG4LIFE strengthens its commitment to sustainability and to training future professionals capable of driving greener, more livable cities prepared to face climate challenges.