Collaborative local governance models to accelerate the emblematic transformation of urban environment and contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative and the objectives of the European Green Deal

The action aims at contributing to the objectives and impacts as set-out in the mission introduction, specifically focusing on the renovation of urban spaces combining sustainability, accessibility and aesthetics in a human-centred way. The action will also provide the ground for reflecting the values and principles promoted by the New European Bauhaus initiative^[1] into climate-neutral urban quality transformations, identifying co-creative governance models where citizens and stakeholders’ needs and expectations are at the centre. The New European Bauhaus was launched in the frame of the Renovation Wave for Europe Strategy^[2] to act as design lab, accelerator and network at the same time to support the effort of making the Green Deal a cultural, human centred and positive, “tangible” experience.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Accelerate the transition to full climate-neutrality for all European cities aligning with the objective of the European Green Deal, while contributing to the New European Bauhaus initiative;
• Contribute to the objectives of the Renovation Wave for Europe Strategy, the upcoming New EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change ^[3], the European Climate Pact^[4], the 2030 Climate Target plan^[5], the Davos Declaration ‘Towards a European vision of high-quality Baukultur’^[6] as well as of the objectives of having 100 climate neutral cities by 2030 as targeted by the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy^[7];
• Increase awareness among local authorities and citizens on the New European Bauhaus ^[8] and the benefits of a climate-neutral urban transition as an opportunity to re-think and co-create qualitative, sustainable, inclusive and aesthetical urban spaces.
• Support for local authorities and citizens’ in identifying emblematic projects to transform the quality, sustainability, inclusivity and aesthetics of public landscapes, building upon existing initiatives at national level.

In order to contribute to the European Green Deal objectives of climate-neutrality, sustainability, prosperity and inclusiveness, cities will have to undergo a rapid and radical transformation and come up with creative, sustainable and collaborative solutions. Urban areas are characterized by diversity of resources, services, communities, interests and needs, which converge into public spaces design and management. A well co-designed public space provides the unique opportunity to improve its climate-neutrality (i.e. using bio-based and natural materials, nature based solutions, introducing new green spaces and circular economy concepts all across the construction life-cycle, new forms of work and commuting patterns, renewable energies, energy efficient lighting, smart digital services etc.) while increasing their attractiveness and social inclusiveness. As promoted by the New European Bauhaus initiative, a systemic co-designed approach to ‘quality climate-neutral urban transformation’ can create living space, where the best technical performances meet citizens’ social, emotional, cultural and aesthetic needs and values.

Proposals should include the following activities:

• Developing innovative and collaborative models of local governance to engage with citizens and local stakeholders in order to identify urban emblematic projects that simultaneously address the three dimensions of sustainability (including circularity), quality of experience (including aesthetics) and inclusion (including accessibility and affordability).
• Supporting cities in engaging with e.g. schools, universities, culture and arts professionals and institutions, citizens and civil society to harvest the needs, trends, challenges and expectations of citizens and communities in terms of quality climate-neutral urban transformation, in line with the New European Bauhaus initiative’s objectives and to start exploring how to match those needs with the existing possibilities.
• Promoting the New European Bauhaus principles among national, regional and local authorities, citizens and stakeholders through dedicated local initiatives (i.e. events, contests, citizens’ dialogues, living labs) and the development of a dedicated platform for sharing of experience and good practices on participatory governance and co-design at local level.

The project should work in close co-operation with the Horizon Europe Preparatory action ‘Coordination of complementary actions for missions’ (HORIZON-MISS-2021-COOR-01) and with the one stop shop platform to be established under the Horizon 2020 topic LC-GD-1-2-2020 on ‘Towards Climate-Neutral and Socially Innovative Cities’^[9] while embedding citizens social, emotional, cultural and aesthetic needs and values.

The project should as well work in close collaboration with other complementary support actions that will be established in the frame of the New European Bauhaus, such as the technical assistance^[10] to be published indicatively in Q2 2021 under the European Regional Development and Cohesion Funds.

Societal Engagement
Social Innovation

[1]https://europa.eu/new-european-bauhaus/index_en

[2]https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/eu_renovation_wave_strategy.pdf

[3]https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12381-EU-Strategy-on-

[4]COM(2020) 788 final: European Climate Pact_ https://europa.eu/climate-pact/system/files/2020-12/20201209%20European%20Climate%20Pact%20Communication.pdf

[5]COM(2020) 562 final: Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition_https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0562&from=EN

[6]https://davosdeclaration2018.ch/media/Context-document-en.pdf

[7]COM(2020) 789 final: Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy – putting European transport on track for the future_ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0789&from=EN

[8]https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/FS_20_1894

[9]https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/lc-gd-1-2-2020

[10]https://ted.europa.eu/