The Intermunicipal Community of Ave (CIM do Ave) held two Territorial Dialogue Sessions on 17 June and 4 July 2025. The first, of a strategic nature, brought together municipal councillors and representatives; the second, more technical, involved environmental and green space management experts from the municipalities of CIM do Ave and the Landscape Lab.
Under the umbrella of the Rural Transition Labs project, CIM do Ave facilitated these meetings with the aim of collectively developing local resilience strategies – particularly the Charter for the Sustainable Management of Public Green Spaces. The agenda of both sessions included the presentation of the project’s Sensitive Diagnosis and discussions around key local challenges such as water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and the sustainable management of urban green areas.
The sessions identified common strengths across the territory (e.g., strong technical expertise, ongoing innovative projects, and a willingness to cooperate), as well as weaknesses (lack of a shared strategic vision, fragmented efforts, and limited resources). The need to clarify roles and strengthen interinstitutional coordination – including the integration of civil parishes and the aggregating role of CIM do Ave – was also emphasised.
The recommendations from both sessions converged around five strategic pillars:
- Strengthening leadership and strategic-political alignment;
- Developing shared operational tools;
- Enhancing technical-political collaboration and capacity-building;
- Stimulating participation and effective communication;
- Aligning funding sources with local priorities.
These pillars will guide the participatory development of the Charter for the Sustainable Management of Public Green Spaces.
- While the session with elected officials focused on institutional validation and initial strategic direction, the technical meeting delved into practical contributions and incorporated local experiences, such as the pilot project in Póvoa de Lanhoso, providing concrete examples.
A common outcome of both sessions was the recognition that sustainable management of public green spaces is vital to tackling climate risks (e.g. drought, biodiversity loss) and improving urban quality of life (better air quality, heat island reduction, and increased leisure space).
The next steps will include collecting good practice examples from the municipalities within NUT III Ave, to be integrated into the final version of the Charter.