We began the year with new guidelines from the European Commission on the New European Bauhaus initiative, in relation to the recent European Affordable Housing Plan. This sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive initiative could not be left behind with this new development, which responds to one of today’s greatest challenges: housing solutions that guarantee energy efficiency, safety, and quality of life.
To this end, two documents have been drawn up that respond to the cross-cutting integration of NEB principles in built environments. These are a Communication, New European Bauhaus: From Vision to Implementation, and a Proposal for a Recommendation, the key points of which are already available on our website.
After five years of operation, the NEB continues its work of empowering communities and entrepreneurs to achieve innovative solutions that drive real change on the ground. There are almost 700 projects across Europe, as well as a community of nearly 2,000 public, private, and third sector organizations supporting the New Bauhaus, demonstrating its growth.
In this regard, the European Commission highlights the potential of co-creation and citizen participation from a multidisciplinary approach that, of course, includes researchers, artists, public authorities, and entrepreneurs, among many others. The NEB Academy is a space for them to meet, offering training that allows them to acquire new skills and promote new startups.
All this is done under the philosophy of accelerating the development of biomaterials and new sustainable building methods, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness. An example of this work can be found in the construction of the new headquarters of the EC’s Joint Research Center (JRC) in Seville.
To promote projects such as this across all territories, the Commission stresses the importance of the annual calls for proposals from the NEB Facility, which are planned to continue until at least 2027 and whose continuity can be ensured from 2028 until 2034 thanks to the Multiannual Financial Framework. These calls particularly encourage research and the revitalization of buildings and public spaces in local contexts.
The need to increase citizen participation is emphasized, for which the use of accessible digital platforms, such as the Citizens’ Engagement Platform, is suggested, allowing users to comment on and evaluate European Union policies. It also seeks to strengthen ties with artistic and educational institutions throughout Europe, as these have structures that can contribute to tolerance, intergenerational links, and social cohesion.
Thus, the EC Communication is committed to promoting new artistic residencies through the NEB and the Culture Moves Europe program, as well as supporting the European Capitals of Culture, as a way of creating synergies for the dissemination of NEB principles.
