Enhancing Natural Heritage for Community Wellbeing

Led by the city of Bucharest in Romania, this was an insightful discussion on the importance of urban nature and how we can protect and enhance green spaces in our cities. The event brought together leading voices in landscape architecture, conservation, and urban climate action to discuss ecological restoration and community engagement as well as pioneering strategies for heat resilience and nature-based solutions in rapidly urbanising cities.

The case studies:

🌿 Diana Culescu – ‘From Nature-Based Solutions to Nature-Based Systems’
Diana explored the challenges involved in managing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and highlighted the progress being made in Romania – particularly through educational programmes aimed at developing the skilled professionals needed to maintain and manage these complex interventions.

🌿 Dan Bărbulescu – ‘Văcărești Nature Park‘
Văcărești Nature Park in Bucharest is the focus of one of the NATALIE Project’s nature-based case studies. The initiative aims to restore a network of temporary ponds using filtered rainwater from a nearby shopping centre—supporting endangered species, enhancing biodiversity, and increasing the park’s resilience to climate change.

🌿 Eugenia Kargbo and Hedda Most – ‘#FreetownTheTreetown’
#FreetownTheTreetown is an ambitious urban reforestation initiative co-designed with local communities to restore tree cover across Sierra Leone’s capital. Spearheaded by Freetown City Council, the project aims to plant, digitally track, and grow 4 million trees by 2028—with 1.2 million already planted. At its heart, the campaign links climate adaptation with community empowerment, exploring innovative funding models to ensure long-term sustainability.

Watch the recording here:

Panellists

Diana Culescu

Diana is a Romanian landscape architect based in Bucharest. She holds a BA in Landscape Architecture (2006) and an MA in Integrated Urban Development (2008), followed by a PhD in Horticulture (2015), with a thesis on assessing urban green space quality. A member of the Romanian Landscape Architects Association (AsoP) since 2008, she served as its national president (2016–2022) and is currently the Secretary General of IFLA Europe. Diana’s work focuses on sustainable urban development, landscape maintenance, and inclusive city planning. At RPR Birou de studii contemporane, she leads projects ranging from concept to implementation in landscape architecture and urban planning. Within AsoP, she advocates for professional rights and is actively involved in initiatives raising public awareness of environmental and landscape issues.

Dan Bărbulescu

Dan is the Director of the Văcărești Natural Park Association, the organisation that established Romania’s first urban natural park and the largest green space in Bucharest since 1989.
He is also a member of the Consultative Council for Sustainable Development, the policy advisory body supporting the Romanian Government in implementing the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.
Combining academic expertise in environmental policy and biodiversity strategies with practical, on-the-ground conservation, Dan leads efforts to research and protect urban biodiversity in areas such as Văcărești, Petricani, and Băneasa Forest. Together with his colleagues, he works to ensure that current and future generations can thrive in the city—even in the face of changing climate conditions.

Eugenia Kargbo

Eugenia is the chief heat officer in Freetown, Sierra Leone and the first in Africa. Eugenia was designated as Time 100 Next Most Influential people of 2022 and now serves as the Senior Heat Strategist for Africa, leading the Africa urban Heat Resilience Cities Strategy, a project that is spearheaded by the Climate Resilience for All (CRA), and that seeks to promote heat resilience across 30 African Cities by 2030. Her professional career started in the banking industry, before serving as the Technical Lead for the Environment and Sanitation Department Freetown. Since 2021 to date, Freetown has made tremendous strides to reduce extreme heat by designing and implementing sustainable cooling initiatives to enable vulnerable communities and groups such as women adapt to rising temperatures. Eugenia also served as a co-lead for the #FreetownTheTreeTown campaign to plant, grow and digitally track 1 million trees in the city of Freetown to address the urgent risks of climate change, an initiative that has provided green jobs for over 2000 youth. She has also served as a data analyst for the Presidential Delivery Unit and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Sierra Leone and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the university of Milan.

Hedda Most

Hedda serves as a climate change adaptation and mitigation advisor in the Mayor’s delivery unit at Freetown City Council (FCC), Sierra Leone. In her role, she gives technical support on a portfolio of climate action projects, ranging from FCC’s flagship project #FreetownTheTreetown to co-developing the city’s first Heat Action Plan. In particular, her work revolves around accessing climate through the voluntary carbon market ensuring that the council’s projects adhere to international standards and regulations whilst creating meaningful impact for communities in Freetown. Her professional career has taken her to Kenya, South Africa, and Sierra Leone, with experience spanning both the public and private sectors, including roles at the Swedish Ministry of Finance and Bain & Company. She holds a BSc in Politics and Economics from Lund University and an MSc in Advanced Economics and Finance from Copenhagen Business School.

Jane Duncan OBE PPRIBA Hon FAIA Hon FRIAS Hon D Design

Jane opened and closed the event for EQN. Jane set up the Award winning practice of Jane Duncan Architects & Interiors Ltd in Little Chalfont, Bucks, in 1992, and remains a consultant, undertaking high-end residential schemes including sustainable houses, historic buildings, commercial, education, schools and community buildings, principally throughout the South of England.
Jane campaigns for improved business and technical skills in architecture and won the election for RIBA Presidency in 2014 on a manifesto to increase diversity in the profession. 
Awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2018 for services to diversity in the profession, she was made an Honorary Fellow of AIA in 2019. Jane’s current advocacy, post Grenfell, is to influence government fire safety regulations, and improve competence, collaboration, skills and accountability in the construction industry. She:

• Chairs the RIBA Expert Panel on Fire Safety after Grenfell 2017 to present and is RIBA architect adviser to the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission.
• Served as RIBA President from 2015 to 2017
• Was first RIBA Equality & Diversity Champion from 2012 – 2015.
• Is a founder member of EQN.
• Is a founder of YADA, bringing together young architects and developers.

Andreea Costache

Andreea is originally from Bucharest. She holds a degree in Economic Management and later completed a Master’s in Project Management. She currently works within the European Funds Department at the City Hall of Bucharest’s Sector 2. In this role, she takes pride in contributing to the development of the sector and the local community where she grew up and continues to live nearby. She is pleased to be part of the implementation team for the DivAirCity project. Andreea chaired the event.