<p>Today we go back to the City of Mechelen, to find out how nature is making a comeback in Mechelen’s old town, why that is not only good for house sparrow, eels, and otters but for everyone living and working in the city and how residents are part of the journey for cleaner water, more biodiversity and green in the city.</p><p>Healthy rivers and rich ecosystems cool our cities, filter our air, and offer places for both people and wildlife to thrive. Yet, for decades, urban waterways have been neglected, covered, or polluted, breaking the vital link between cities and nature.</p><p>We have Michiel van Mele who is the City Ecologiest of Mechelen and Marteen de Jonge who is the head of the lab department of the Flanders Environmental Agency on the show. Tune in to find out more...</p><p>This episode is part of the Johannes' work with the City of Mechelen's WATSUPS project, a New European Bauhaus demonstrator. WATSUPS is an Innovation Action funded by the European Urban Initiatives. More information here:</p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.urban-initiative.eu">European Urban Initiative</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://portico.urban-initiative.eu/european-urban-initiative/watsups-water-source-urban-public-space">WATSUPS - Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces project</a></li></ul><p>In case you missed it: To dig in deeper into the amazing work of Mechelen's, you might want to give these past episodes a listen.</p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.anthropocene.city/podcast/12-reimagine-mechelen-pt-1-water-as-the-source-of-urban-public-space/">Reimagining Mechelen Pt. 1 - Water as the Source of Urban Public Space with Nicole La Iacona</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.anthropocene.city/podcast/13-reimagine-mechelen-pt-2-nature-as-a-stakeholder/">Reimagining Mechelen Pt. 2 - Nature as a Stakeholder in the Revival of the River Dijle with Mark Van der Veken</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p>