LIST researchers have now launched the first soil sampling campaign as part of Luxembourg's first Urban Living Lab funded under the European Union Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe". This marks the transition from planning to field work in Luxembourg's participation in the Horizon Europe-funded project Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Urban Soil Restoration Through Living Labs (URSOILL).
To understand why this matters, and what comes next, we spoke with Dr Anna Espinoza, LIST's Principal Investigator for URSOILL and Living Lab leader for Luxembourg.
From diagnosis to action
Urban soils play a fundamental role in creating healthy cities by regulating water, supporting biodiversity, storing carbon, and contributing to human wellbeing.
"Healthy soils help make cities more resilient to challenges such as flooding, biodiversity loss and climate change."
— Dr Anna Espinoza, URSOILL Principal Investigator and researcher in the Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity Unit at LIST
Testing solutions in real-life environments
Unlike conventional research projects that remain largely within laboratory environments, URSOILL adopts a Living Lab approach, where solutions are tested directly in real-world urban settings.
Researchers will investigate innovative approaches to reduce soil sealing to improve water infiltration as well as nature-based solutions for the removal of soil pollutants and to support biodiversity and soil fertility. Possible solutions will include the use of plants, microorganisms and bio-based materials.
"The Living Lab concept allows us to co-create solutions that are implemented under real environmental conditions and understand how they can be implemented at larger scale."
— Dr Anna Espinoza
Collaboration at the heart of the Living Lab
URSOILL brings together researchers, public authorities, businesses, and citizens around a common objective: healthier urban soils.
In Luxembourg, LIST works closely with municipalities, landowners, companies specialized in soil restoration and remediation, citizen organizations and public institutions. The Luxembourg Environment Agency participates as an Associated Partner, helping connect research, policy and practice.
"This is not purely a research project. It is about working together with stakeholders to ensure that the solutions we test respond to real needs and can continue to be used beyond the lifetime of the project."
— Dr Anna Espinoza
Turning local action into European impact
Funded under the European Union Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe", URSOILL contributes to Europe's ambition to establish 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses across Europe by 2030.
The Luxembourg Urban Living Lab contributes to three key objectives of the EU Soil Mission:
- Achieving no net soil sealing and increasing the reuse of urban soils;
- Reducing soil pollution and enhancing soil restoration; and
- Increasing soil literacy by engaging citizens and stakeholders in understanding the value and functions of urban soils.
Each Living Lab across Europe contributes unique environmental and social conditions:
- Italy – Alpine context
- Spain – Atlantic context
- Greece – Mediterranean context
- Sweden – Humid continental context
- Luxembourg – Continental context
Beyond supporting the EU Soil Mission, URSOILL contributes to the implementation of the new EU Soil Monitoring Law, which entered into force on 16 December 2025. Member States must adopt national implementation measures by December 2028.
Over the coming months, researchers will complete the baseline soil analyses before moving to the implementation and testing of restoration solutions across the Living Lab sites.
"Our ambition is that the solutions tested during URSOILL will continue to be used long after the project ends. By demonstrating what works in real-life conditions, we hope to provide knowledge and practical tools that can be replicated by cities and stakeholders across Europe."
— Dr Anna Espinoza