The future of NEB forms part of the European Affordable Housing Plan and brings a NEB Label, a NEB Advisory Hub and a NEB Investment Accelerator, among others. Building on five years of successful NEB initiatives such as the NEB Academy, NEB Festival, NEB Prizes and NEB Labs, the Commission invites stakeholders to join the vibrant NEB Community.
By Eirini PolydorouThe European Commission announced its plans for the future of the New European Bauhaus (NEB). Responding to rising challenges for EU citizens, such as affordable housing, climate change and new technologies rapid evolution, the New European Bauhaus aims to strengthen its role as a driver of the clean transition and innovation, co-shaping spaces that support a sense of belonging, quality of life and the feeling of security.
The new NEB onbjectives focus on enhancing circularity, sustainability and innovation in the built environment, empowering citizens and participatory governance and harnessing the transformative power of education, arts and culture to boost creativity and innovation (click on image to enlarge).
Adopted as part of the European Affordable Housing Plan, the Communication “New European Bauhaus: From vision to implementation” and its accompanying proposal for a Council Recommendation set out the key actions to scale up the initiative and support its transformative role in Europe and beyond.
New NEB initiatives on guidance, governance and funding accessibility
Announced new tools aim at scaling up the NEB impact. Upcoming initiatives include, among others:
- A pilot project where cities test innovative approaches to urban resilience is one of the new NEB tools on community resilience to be introduced, including guidance on crisis prevention, post-disaster recovery and climate adaptation.
- A NEB Label will be launched to reward exemplary work, better recognise and evaluate NEB projects and develop guidance and indicators to measure the impact of community-led initiatives.
- A NEB Advisory Hub will improve access to funding for smaller players, while a new NEB Investment Accelerator will attract and facilitate private, public and blended finance. The NEB Advisory Hub and the NEB Investment Accelerator aim at strengthening funding and governance and improving resource accessibility and coordination across policy areas and governance levels.
- A digital catalogue on blueprints for affordable and resilient housing will be developed.
- NEB demonstrators showcasing low-carbon, circular, and bio-based solutions are also about to be funded.
Ongoing initiatives to be strengthened include:
- The NEB Academy will serve as the main structure for experimentation, reskilling and upskilling of the construction sector, and business development offering sandboxes and supporting start-ups to develop innovative solutions aligned with NEB values.
- The NEB Community already includes over 700 projects across Europe and beyond, a vibrant NEB network of nearly 2000 organisations. It will expand across sectors and groups, and grassroots participation will be reinforced to support the replication and scaling of proven solutions, with a particular focus on affordable housing.
- Flagship activities, such as the NEB Festival, the NEB Prizes, and dedicated NEB Labs, will continue to bring communities together and showcase innovative approaches.
- NEB initiatives beyond the EU, will also be continued contributing notably to Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction, but also by establishing NEB Academy Hubs in non-EU countries and through the first international strand of the NEB Prizes.
Building on its first five years of achievements, the future NEB will expand to supporting businesses, innovators and communities and facilitate an inclusive, sustainable and quality-focused transformation of neighbourhoods and industries, according to NEB values and principles (click on image to enlarge).
Next steps
Next key steps aim at engaging relevant actors and networks across governance levels, policy areas, and economic sectors towards unlocking the full potential of the NEB.
The Commission invites:
- stakeholders to join the NEB Community, co-create and scale up innovative solutions supporting neighbourhood regeneration and the clean transition.
- the Council to discuss and adopt the proposed Council Recommendation, to strengthen cross-sectoral efforts and ensure the NEB is operational and integrated into national, regional, and local initiatives and funding.
Background
Launched by President von der Leyen in 2020, the NEB aims to co-create buildings, public spaces, and neighbourhoods that are beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive and bring people together, in a spirit of community. Under the current EU budget, EUR 1.4 billion from nine EU programmes have been allocated to support the NEB, while the NEB Facility 2025-2027 provides a solid financial foundation to support NEB research and revitalise neighbourhoods through participatory design and co-creation.
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