GREEN ROOFS FOR ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION:
COMMUNICATING GOOD GREEN PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES
The results and ideas of the Erasmus+ GREENO2 Project were presented online by scholars during the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference “Current Issues of the Media Space”, held on April 17, 2025, and organized by the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine).
At this event, the study “Green Roofs for Ecological Transition: Nature-Based Solutions for Cities of the Future. Cultivating the Communication of Good Green Practices” was presented by Prof. Andrea Colantoni, Prof. Leonardo Bianchini, M.Sc. Giorgia Di Domenico, and M.Sc. Elisa Cioccolo from the University of Tuscia (Italy), together with Prof. Bogdana Nosova from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). The presentation explored how green roofs serve as effective nature-based solutions for sustainable and resilient urban development.
Green roofs contribute to improving air quality, regulating urban microclimates, managing rainwater, and enhancing biodiversity. They also provide social and economic benefits such as aesthetic improvements, increased property value, mental well-being, and opportunities for urban agriculture and community engagement. However, widespread implementation remains limited due to regulatory, cultural, and communication barriers. The authors emphasized that effective communication strategies and citizen engagement are essential to overcoming these challenges.
A key example of this approach is the Erasmus+ GREENO2 Project (“Green Roofs in higher education institutions as sustainable cEnters for research, participation, ENvironmental consciousness and O2 generation”), coordinated by the University of Tuscia. The project promotes the installation of green roofs on public and educational buildings, particularly in vulnerable urban areas, to reduce environmental impact, improve air quality, and foster environmental awareness among local communities.
What makes GREENO2 particularly innovative is its communicative and educational dimension – including interactive installations, public outreach, and visual communication designed to engage citizens of all ages. This integration of environmental innovation and participatory communication helps strengthen urban ecological culture and inspire the replication of good green practices throughout Europe.
As the authors concluded, advancing the ecological transition of cities depends not only on technology but also on the ability to communicate the value of nature-based solutions effectively. Projects like Erasmus+ GREENO2 demonstrate how cultivating the communication of good green practices can help build more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban environments.
The annual multidisciplinary conference “Current Issues of the Media Space” provides a platform to discuss key challenges and trends in media and communication in Ukraine and worldwide. Its goal is to explore the communication studies, influence of propaganda, fake news, and misinformation in the modern media space, as well as to promote professional and academic dialogue among researchers, educators, journalists, and representatives of Ukrainian and international NGOs.
The 2025 programme included plenary and breakout sessions and roundtable discussions across several thematic sections, including:
Ukrainian Journalism in the Global Information and Communication Contex
Theory and Practice of Media Text Creation
Research of Hidden Media Effects
Disaster Journalism: Preventing the News from Turning into a Disaster
Applied Technologies of Advertising and PR in Today’s Challenges
Publishing, Production, and Business Communications
The working languages of the conference were Ukrainian, English, Italian, and Polish, with both online and in-person participation.