UOC

UOC will combine comparative research and real-world testing in France, Switzerland and Denmark. The consortium will map and classify existing threshold spaces, compare how planning cultures, governance arrangements, procurement and maintenance shape their performance, and develop indicators covering access, safety, dignity, participation, nature connectedness, biodiversity and circularity. Working with pilot cities, practitioners and user groups, the project will test diagnostic, co-design and engagement methods through participatory mapping, scenario exploration and small-scale digital or non-built prototyping. No construction is funded. The findings will be consolidated into an application-ready European methodology for locating, specifying and governing Urban Outdoor Commons. This will include a methodological guide, shared diagnostic tools, adaptable typologies, indicators and policy recommendations. The work is led by CREPS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with ZHAW, ENSA Lyon and Silkeborg Municipality, bringing together public policy, spatial planning, environmental science, architecture and municipal practice.

UOC will give municipalities and practitioners a common language and practical tools for turning high-level commitments on climate, health, biodiversity and inclusion into better near-home outdoor places. Expected results include a harmonised European evidence base, a typology of Urban Outdoor Commons, validated social-ecological indicators, tested co-design protocols, a governance and circularity framework, an open-access methodological guide and policy recommendations. These outputs will help cities create safer and more legible gateways to trails, parks and green-blue corridors; widen participation among groups who currently feel less welcome; reduce pressure on sensitive natural areas; support active mobility and everyday physical activity; and strengthen local stewardship and ecological regeneration. The project will also generate scientific publications, open datasets, contributions to the DUT Knowledge Hub and a European dissemination event. Its longer-term ambition is to make Urban Outdoor Commons a transferable approach for just, healthy and nature-positive urban transitions across Europe.