LIFE SeedNEB

“Beautifying cities through nature: implementation of a national biodiversity-friendly framework framed by the New European Bauhaus in 3 pilot neighborhoods in Spain, Italy and Hungary.”

Summary:

The LIFE SeedNEB project (2024-2028) aims to demonstrate the benefits that the combined use of New European Bauhaus (NEB) and nature-based solutions (SBN) bring to the urban environment of three municipalities (Lorquí (ES), Potenza (IT) and Dunaújváros (HU)).

The project will implement urban strategies and on-site interventions that promote biodiversity while transforming the environment and improving the well-being of its residents.
In particular, the Enrique Tierno Galván Cultural Center in the municipality of Lorquí, the Leonardo Sinisgalli School in Potenza and a block of 40 houses in and around Dunaújváros will be renaturalized.

The solutions adopted are expected to contribute to the reduction of air, water and noise pollution, protection against floods and heat waves, and the maintenance of human and natural links.

LIFE SeedNEB will also work to bring citizens closer to nature by involving them in the beautification of their neighborhoods (participatory governance) and by providing technical and administrative assistance to promote the implementation of the SBN in other areas.
To this end, a Bauhaus Citizen School will be set up in each municipality, from which, in addition to cooperating with the design of these solutions, training activities will be carried out for citizens.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s LIFE funding instrument for the environment and climate action under grant agreement no. 101148064.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Duration: 01/07/2024 – 30/06/2028

Budget: 3 134 371,87 €

Sustainability, replication and exploitation of results.

Communication

Monitoring of project results

Participation and co-governance

The transformation process of the pilot neighborhoods requires a citizen consensus that materializes through participation and co-governance. To this end, a co-creation process has been designed in which the main actors in each neighborhood will design, implement and monitor the actions carried out.

A first action is established that aims to strengthen the social structure of the neighborhood by choosing a representative, called NEB facilitator, who will help drive the whole process. At the same time, a Bauhaus Citizen School will be created to mobilize the population and link it to the project through workshops and activities.

Along with the work of building a solid participatory structure, a co-creation process will be implemented based on the co-design methodology of the Clever Cities project, which establishes work phases linked to the design of solutions based on nature. This design process will use the design thinking methodology, so that the results will be proposals to be implemented in the improvement of the building and the shared areas of its municipality.

In addition, during the co-creation, citizens will participate in the implementation of solutions with different activities. This process will also involve citizens in the monitoring of the results, offering a learning process to obtain results in the different aspects that the project wants to evaluate, such as the improvement of biodiversity, environmental conditions, neighborhood perception or social impact.

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Biodiversity Office

Beautifying through the intervention of nature

• Restoration of at least 3 buildings with green roofs or green facades.
• Renaturalization of 3 public spaces.
• Design of a catalog of SBN technical solutions friendly to urban biodiversity.
• Incorporation of SBN in at least 30 private buildings under biodiversity criteria.
• Consolidation of a culture of urban intervention committed to the naturalization and urban-ecological rehabilitation of neighborhoods, among the technical staff of local administrations and the general public.
• Learning concrete solutions adapted to real needs and available resources.
• Development of a true co-creation process in which neighbors participate in the design, implementation and monitoring of interventions.
• Creation and operation of 3 incubators of ideas in Lorquí, Dunaújváros and Potenza.

Leonardo Sinisgalli School (Potenza)

In Potenza (Italy), the pilot building is the Leonardo Sinisgalli School, a school complex that includes different educational levels: kindergarten, primary and secondary school.

It is located in the district of Poggio Tre Galli, in the northwestern part of the city, a newly built neighborhood. It was erected for mainly residential use due to the earthquake that caused many buildings in the city center to become unusable.

The school, built in 1984, consists of three buildings, each with two levels, as well as a gymnasium. Each floor has an area of 2,464 square meters and the gymnasium has 533 square meters. The building has a height of 11 meters and a volume of approximately 16,200 cubic meters.

The building is characterized by maximum simplicity, made with prefabricated panels, the facades are formed by granulated concrete panels and the roofs are flat with a metal panel finish.

Based on early estimates, a green roof covering 360 m² will be installed, along with a 100 m² green facade on the north-facing walls. The green roof is expected to require low maintenance (315,360 l per year). The average annual rainfall in Basilicata is around 800 liters per square meter, so 73.06% of the irrigation needs will be supplied by rainwater (230,400 l).

Block of 40 dwellings (Dunaújváros)

In Dunaújváros, Hungary, the proposed building is a private block of 40 dwellings. The installation of a green façade or green roof on a contemporary building is an innovative project.

The roof area of this residential building is 285 m² and the facade surfaces are 2110 m². A green roof will be installed covering the entire existing area and a green facade will be placed on the wall with fewer windows, occupying an estimated area of 167 m².

In this case the green roof will not need an irrigation system. The average annual rainfall in Dunaújváros is around 650 liters per square meter so rainwater will supply more than the plants require.

Enrique Tierno Galván Cultural Center (Lorquí)

In Lorquí (Spain), the pilot building will be the ‘Enrique Tierno Galván’ Cultural Center, a space dedicated to the different cultural themes that take place in the municipality. Inaugurated almost two decades ago, it is in an unbeatable location in the center of the town, a few meters from the Church of the Apostle of Santiago and the Town Hall.

The building houses the public library, the municipal auditorium and several multipurpose rooms. It was built in 1985 and its structure is made of concrete pillars and slabs with block or brick enclosures. In this cultural space the young people of Lorquí have a multitude of activities that take place throughout the year. In addition, a cultural program is developed in the facilities that includes theater for adults and children, recitals, concerts, courses, talks, colloquiums and conferences. The multi-purpose rooms are used for dance, aerobics, gerontogymnastics, yoga and music classes (music theory, instruments and singing).

For the project intervention, nature-based solutions will be tested on 105 m² of roof and 50 m² of the wall between the library and the auditorium. The vegetation expected to be planted on the rooftop has a low water requirement (50,589 l per year), as they are adapted to the semi-arid climate of Murcia, where the average annual rainfall is around 270 liters per square meter. It is expected that 44.83% of the irrigation needs (22,689 l) will be supplied by rainwater.