Urban Klima 2050 presents the NbS-CoBAs citizen science tool in a participatory action in Bilbao
12/12/2025
Citizens evaluate the María Díaz de Haro green corridor and provide information on the perceived psycho-social co-benefits of the naturalisation of urban spaces.
Eighteen people participated in Bilbao in the first participatory action to present the NbS-CoBAs citizen science tool, piloted by TECNALIA within the framework of the LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 project. The session provided a joint assessment of the María Díaz de Haro green corridor and information on the psycho-social benefits of nature-based solutions in urban environments.
The activity was divided into two parts: an explanatory session in which the Urban Klima 2050 project, the Citizen Science Platform and the functioning of the NbS-CoBAs tool were presented; and a practical visit to the new green corridor to make observations in situ.
A tool to understand how nature affects urban life
During the presentation, the TECNALIA technical team explained that NbS-CoBAs came about as a result of a co-creation process within the framework of the European CLEVER Cities project and is currently being validated in 25 spaces in 7 municipalities in the Basque Country through Urban Klima 2050.
The tool enables the psycho-social co-benefits associated with naturalised spaces: emotional well-being, social cohesion, sense of belonging, safety or socio-environmental equity to be assessed.
It can also be used to find out which naturalised urban spaces generate greater well-being, evaluate citizen perception of a specific location, analyse the before and after of an urban planning intervention, provide data that influence future designs of green spaces or encourage social participation in climate action.
Visit to the María Díaz de Haro Green Corridor
After the introductory session, the participants visited both the section where work has not yet been carried out and the section of Calle María Díaz de Haro that has already been naturalised. In the latter, 6,000 m² of new pedestrian and green areas have been created, 50 new trees have been planted and permeable tree wells, new lighting and renovated drainage networks have been installed.
In both locations and after one minute of sensory observation of the environment, participants used the NbS-CoBAs tool to assess the space. The test has enabled perceptions of well-being, environmental comfort, safety, use of the space for relaxation and the emotional change generated by naturalisation to be collected. The results show that the naturalised space improves people's comfort, their sense of safety and arouses more positive emotions than in the section of the street that has not been transformed yet.
Citizen science and climate awareness
The day concluded with a pooling session, in which proposals were also shared to improve the future dissemination of NbS-CoBAs and to make it easier for more people to carry out observations in different parts of the Basque Country.
This experience will serve to strengthen the Urban Klima 2050 citizen science platform and move forward in the project's goal: engaging citizens in understanding climate change and building healthier and more resilient urban environments.
