NEB Lab: Sustainable and Inclusive Neighbourhoods

Goal: Transforming places sustainably

The project partners and participants will work together to design and develop neighbourhood and district projects from the initial idea through to implementation. The project supports local authorities across the full project cycle. From early concepts and funding strategies to implementation. It also connects local authorities with districts, infrastructure developers, and solution providers, helping to align efforts and accelerate delivery.

Approach: Connecting Cities Through Shared Knowledge

The Lab aims to provide this support in three ways: 

1. AI-based matchmaking platform connects cities and districts with peers facing similar challenges. Here, local authorities can explore real solutions already implemented elsewhere, exchange experiences, and identify approaches that can be adapted locally. 
   This reduces the need to start from scratch and helps cities and districts move faster from idea to action. With multilingual access, the platform ensures that knowledge sharing works across borders and regions.
2. Accompanying this possibility of exchange among cities and municipalities, the Lab also offers curated expert services (energy districts, urban planning, sustainable building certification, urban governance consultancy, water infrastructure etc.) to build capacity of city officials via webinars and consultation. These are provided by the consortium partners and selected industry solution providers who will support our implementation ambitions. Monthly webinars will cover the focus areas of the Lab tailored to specific target groups and contexts (Climate adaptation in cities, in rural areas, etc).
3. Securing funding is often one of the biggest barriers to implementation. To address this, the Lab includes a funding matcher. This tool helps municipalities identify relevant EU, national, and regional funding opportunities tailored to their projects. 
   By simplifying the funding search and linking it to concrete project ideas, the Lab helps cities move forward with greater confidence and fewer delays. 

Project milestones

• September 2024: Launch at the Future Summit, Berlin
• January 2025: EU funds already won (Driving Urban Transition (DUT), Horizon, ELENA, EUCF)
• Through 2025: Neighbourhood projects designed and set up (Germany, Estonia, Austria, etc.)

Achievements

In 2025, Sustainable and Inclusive Neighbourhoods gained traction as it was highlighted at a number of high-profile events. Find a selection below: 

• NEW bauhaus
  • 19 May in Berlin I Kick-off NEW bauhaus Lab LIVING PERIODS (supported by NEB Lab Experts)
  • 03-04 September in Weimar I NEW bauhaus VISIONALE: The future of the Real Estate Industry
• 11-12 June in Brussels I neext European Talk in Brussels
• 15-17 September  I  Presentation of NEB Lab at Bundeskongress Nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik of BMWSB, Rostock
• 15-16 October in Vienna I Austrian Institute of Technology & ÖGNI – Urban Transformation I neext Themendialog (powered by Drees & Sommer)
• 05 November in Barcelona  I  New European Bauhaus LAB: Inclusive and Sustainable Neighbourhoods  I  Tomorrow. Mobility World Congress
• 02 December in Bonn  I  Workshop „Städte der Zukunft bauen – Neue Perspektiven für Bauen und Wohnen“ at BMFTR-event „Raum für Wandel – Städte neu denken” 

Participation in the project

Why participate?

1. Increased visibility, EU-wide
2. Easy access peer learning, EU-wide, without language barriers
3. Interdisciplinary expertise in spatial, social and ecological issues
4. Access to funding – including grants and other financing options
5. Safety – your project is future-proof in line with EU policies and regulations

How do you join?

Participate as a project: 
Apply with your district, neighbourhood development project by sending us your expression of interest.  

Criteria:

• Project needs to be in Europe or associated countries
• Assessment of the project regarding the NEB principles
• After positive assessment: signing of commitment letter

Participate as a Knowledge Partner: 

• As a service provider, innovator, university or similar
• Joining and organizing webinars, events (consultation services, capacity building)
• Individual in-kind-contributions in the form of a commitment letter

Participate as an Industry Partner/Donor:

• You support a project that actively contributes to solving social challenges such as housing shortages, inclusive architecture and public space, social isolation, and unequal living conditions. Donors position themselves as pioneers in the field of social and sustainable neighbourhood development.
• You tap into a broad network of experts, municipalities and project planners.
• The Lab offers the opportunity to participate in the development of new technologies, materials and concepts that are directly related to the business areas of the funding agencies (e.g. building material innovation, circular economy).
• By systematically analysing and evaluating successful projects, the Lab generates well-founded findings. Donors can use these for their own strategies to develop sustainable business models or strengthen their CSR strategies.

Project team coordinators

BABLE Smart Cities, NEB Friend
CPEA, NEB Partner
DGNB, NEB Partner
Drees & Sommer, NEB Friend 
ICLEI, NEB Partner 

Contact

Haris Piplas: haris [dot] piplasdreso [dot] com,

Alexander Schmidt: alexbable-smartcities [dot] eu (alex[at]bable-smartcities[dot]eu)

Related information

The NEB Lab