The side event took place at Stam Europa in the European quarter in Brussels and was organised in the continuity of the process we initiated through a first NEB seminar hold in February 23rd and 24th 2022. The aim of the February event was firstly to better inform our colleagues and partners about the New European Bauhaus through several interventions of the European Commission, and secondly to encourage potential partnerships and projects between our different partner regions and metropoles.

As we imagined from the beginning, the NEB festival side event was an ideal moment to deepen our first reflexions about NEB. We started our side event on the 9th June in the evening with a networking session and an exhibition of several NEB spirit projects from our local and European partners.

We continued on the 10th June in the morning. After a short introduction, the event was opened by a keynote speech from Nicolas Singer, Head of Unit, Projects and Platforms at Interreg Europe. Nicolas Singer presented opportunities of Interreg Europe in relation to the NEB.

During the second part of the morning, participants, inspired by the Interreg opportunities, worked in the three following parallel sessions according to their preferences and knowledge:

Reconnecting with nature, focusing on water cycle, sustainable mobility and green infrastructures

Design as a tool for social changes

Circular construction and renovation

The three topics of the workshops were based on the topics of our first seminar of February 2022

In each workshops, participants selected firstly the major common challenges according to the outcomes of the last seminar. Secondly, they made proposals on how those challenges can be transformed into concrete actions, which structures can be involved, what policies can be put in place to support them and how citizens can be involved. 

Several concrete ideas about for instance circular construction, water resilient areas, the promotion of biobased materials, transport connections between urban and rural areas have been identified and can be investigated more in detail in a next stage. The process initiated together with the Hauts-de-France Regions continues during the European Week for Region and Cities in a special session on 13th October from 9:30 to 10:30. Take already note of the date!