As part of the activities of the Twinning Learning Programme (visits to twin cities), the City of Zagreb, the lead partner and pilot city in the project “Activation of Green Courtyards for Carbon Neutrality”, hosted on 10 and 11 April 2025 representatives from the City of Poznań (Poland), the project’s twin city.
The delegation from Poznań consisted of:
- Joanna Michalska, Specialist in the Department for Climate and Environment
- Monika Rucka, Head of the Department for Climate and Environment
- Ewa Zalewska, Deputy Head of the Department for Green Areas
- with the support of consultant Hannah Walter (Germany) from RUPPRECHT CONSULT - Forschung & Beratung GmbH, a partner of the NetZeroCities initiative.
The aim of the visit was mutual familiarisation and the exchange of experiences, knowledge and practices in the field of sustainable urban development, with a focus on nature‑based solutions (NbS) and other examples of good practice in which individual cities excel.
The first day of the visit was dedicated to presenting the local context and climate strategies of the City of Zagreb.
The ActGREEN project was presented by project manager
Nebojša Ivančević, with expert support from Tanja Dijan, lead for sensemaking activities, and Nikolina Krmek, coordinator of the Twinning Learning Programme.
The programme continued with presentations of other key city initiatives.
Hrvoje Kalčiček, Assistant Head for Information Systems and Technical Affairs, spoke about participatory budgeting. Then
Barbara Tomičević from the City Office for Local Self‑Government, Transport, Civil Protection and Safety presented Zagreb’s greening projects and measures aimed at strengthening climate resilience.
The meeting was also joined by
Irena Matković, Deputy Head of the Office for Reconstruction, Construction, Spatial Planning and Municipal Services, and
Lidija Pavić‑Rogošić, Director of ODRAZ, one of the project partners.
After the presentations, the group visited the pilot location at Trg Petra Svačića 17, where an example of a renovated urban courtyard, implemented as part of the 2023 courtyard‑greening pilot project, was presented. The guests had the opportunity to see first‑hand how nature‑based solutions are applied in practice. The field visit was joined by project‑team member
Assoc. Prof. Iva Rechner Dika, PhD, from the Faculty of Agriculture, and
Martina Milković Ivanušević from the City Office for Reconstruction, Construction, Spatial Planning, Building and Municipal Services.
The day concluded in a relaxed atmosphere with lunch, dinner and a guided tour of the Lower and Upper Town organised by the Zagreb Tourist Board, during which the guests were also introduced to the locations of the pilot project for planting 8,000 trees.
The second day of the visit was dedicated to presenting the solutions and challenges faced by the City of Poznań. The representatives shared their experiences —
Joanna Michalska spoke about the initiative “Poznań and Renewable Energy Sources” and presented the work of the Commission for Civil Dialogue.
Monika Rucka dedicated her presentation to Poznań’s Green Budget as an example of citizen involvement in planning municipal investments.
The visit concluded with an interactive workshop led by consultant
Hannah Walter, in which members of the Twinning Learning Programme from Zagreb and Poznań analysed what they had learned, highlighted shared challenges, defined necessary next steps and identified key stakeholders for future projects. Upcoming activities within the programme were also defined.
The official programme ended with a joint lunch and a panoramic cable‑car ride to Sljeme.
The ActGREEN project team thanks the colleagues from Poznań and consultant Hannah Walter for the inspiring and valuable exchange. The visit was an opportunity to share important experiences and insights, confirming that good practice continues through project activities and the shared commitment to a greener and more sustainable future for our cities.
