River Cities Lunch Sessions #1 “Reconnecting People, Place, and Nature Through Urban Ecosystem Services”

As counterintuitive as it seems, nature is the engine of our cities. Ecosystem services—the diverse benefits provided by the natural world, such as clean air, water filtration, and temperature regulation—form the essential life-support systems that make our urban environments livable, healthy, and resilient against climate change. In this session, Eva Stache—Architect, Researcher, and Expert in Climate-Adaptive Design at TU Delft—will provide an in-depth exploration of four critical ecosystem services: cooling, CO₂ capture, health, and the fascinating ecological engineering of beavers. She will demonstrate how these natural processes can directly enhance the quality of urban life while responding to the current climate crisis.

Following this technical dive, the rest of the session will be moderated by Lia Ghilardi, a renowned Cultural Strategist and Regenerative Place-Making Expert. Lia will offer a response from a social and cultural perspective, discussing the implications for cultural sustainability and exploring how these natural services can be integrated into the very social fabric of our cities.

We invite you to join this essential conversation to share examples from your own professional or personal experiences and engage in a live Q&A. Together, we will explore how to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and community action to create truly regenerative urban spaces.

Register here

About Eva Stache:

Eva Stache is an architect and researcher at Delft University of Technology. Research is an essential part of her design strategy. Various studies commissioned by Novem, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), and BNA Onderzoek have contributed to a deeper understanding of sustainability implementation, how to approach climate-adaptive design challenges, and managing sustainable design and construction processes in both small and large projects. Her doctoral research at Delft University of Technology focuses on "Green as a Building Material." and it focuses on exploring the effects of urban vegetation on the urban climate.

About Lia Ghilardi:

Lia Ghilardi is a creative polymath and urban sociologist, internationally recognised for her pioneering work in cultural urban development. For over 25 years, she has worked with civic leaders, architects, developers, and cultural organisations worldwide, delivering tailored place DNA strategies that drive imaginative, integrated solutions to contemporary placemaking challenges. She writes and blogs passionately about cities, human development, and regenerative growth, exploring how culture shapes places and their evolution. To this end, she has developed a unique toolkit for mapping the cultural and urban DNA of communities.