Innovative models for neighbourhoods that integrate beauty, inclusiveness and sustainability

Destination 2 aims to make neighbourhoods^[1] more sustainable^[1], circular^[3] and regenerative^[1] but also inclusive^[1], accessible, affordable and beautiful^[1], turning them into resilient places where nature and biodiversity can thrive, contributing to a better health and well-being for all, as well as clean air, soils, water and energy, in line with the Davos Declaration 2018^[7]. It does so by contributing to making the built environment^[1] – including cultural heritage buildings – and its composing construction materials and products more sustainable and circular and by rethinking their design, construction, use, maintenance and disassembly. Specific attention is paid to the reuse and to extending the lifespan of existing infrastructure in order to minimize extraction of resources from the natural environment. It also explores the potential of digital tools and technologies to achieve these objectives as well as the potential of the cultural and creative sectors. The solutions developed should be user-centred and placed-based, and consider cultural heritage and vernacular knowledge^[1] while reflecting local diversity and cultural identity and meeting people's (long-term) needs.

Destination 2 thus addresses three of the Commission political guidelines 2024-2029, namely:

1. A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness
2. Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model
3. Sustaining our quality of life: Food security, water and nature

By looking into the entire life cycles of buildings, from extraction of resources, manufacturing of products, construction, use and end-of-life while keeping reusable products and materials in multiple use cycles as long as possible, Destination 2 contributes to the achievement of the Clean Industrial Deal, the EU Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act thereby supporting Europe’s leading position in the green transition^[1] and sustainable prosperity. Moreover, by exploring how the existing built environment can be used more efficiently, it contributes to the Renovation Wave and potentially the European Affordable Housing Plan^[11].

Destination 2 explores how the built environment can contribute to restoring its environment by leveraging nature-based-solutions^[1], biomimicry and regenerative designs. This includes clean soil, water and air and thus contributes to the Zero Pollution Action Plan^[13], the EU Biodiversity Strategy^[14], the Nature Restoration Regulation articles^[15], as well as the EU Strategy on Green Infrastructure^[16] and the Water Resilience Strategy^[17]. Such innovative designs and solutions should also improve the climate adaptability and resilience of buildings, neighbourhoods, cities and regions, thus contributing to the European Climate Adaptation Strategy.

In Work Programme 2026-2027, this Destination contributes to the following overarching expected impacts set out in the Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027:

• Living and working in a health-promoting environment
• Achieving global leadership in climate-neutral, circular and digitised industrial and digital value chains
• Putting biodiversity on a path to recovery, and protecting and restoring ecosystems and their services
• Sustainably developing rural, urban and coastal areas

The Destination aims to deliver on these objectives by:

• Advancing the development and integration of innovative, bio-based^[1] and more circular construction materials and products in new construction and building renovations, while complying with current European standards and regulations, as well as informing them.
• Rethinking the way we design, build, use, renovate and disassemble our built environment over its entire life cycle to reach a more circular and sustainable built environment, better health and well-being of their occupants, better resources management, better biodiversity and regenerated ecosystems.
• Leveraging digital tools and technologies, local cultural identity and heritage as well as traditional and vernacular knowledge and knowhow.
• Developing new methods or improve existing ones to assess environmental performance and associated impacts of solutions, designs and techniques for the built environment.

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to the development of circular and regenerative approaches for the built environment and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts:

• The built environment, including cultural heritage buildings, and its composing elements and materials in neighbourhoods are more sustainable, circular, adaptable, multi-purposed, long-lasting, and have net-zero GHG emissions (and beyond) over their entire life cycles, resulting in an overall more sustainable, and climate-neutral building stock.
• Neighbourhoods are more beautiful, healthier places where human beings, natural ecosystems and biodiversity can thrive.
• Spaces, existing buildings and resources for construction and renovation are optimally used without compromising affordability, comfort and living conditions.
• The solutions developed are sustainable, beautiful, user-centred and place-based, connect with local cultural identity, historical knowledge and cultural heritage, answer the needs of and are accepted by users – including minorities, underrepresented groups and groups in a vulnerable situation.
• Information on long-term environmental, social, economic impacts of sustainable and circular construction and renovation solutions for built assets are simplified, detailed and reliable, and better support decision-making process for built environment.

When possible and relevant, actions are strongly recommended to collaborate with and build on the results of past and ongoing research projects, including regional, national or European funded projects, to ensure consistency and continuity in research.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[3] See definition of ‘Circular economy’ in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[5] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[6] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[7] Davos Declaration, ‘Davos Declaration 2018’, 2018, https://davosdeclaration2018.ch/en/.

[8] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[9] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[10] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[11] This document is not yet published at the time of writing. The Commission adoption is currently planned for the first quarter of 2026.

[12] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[13] European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, 'Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.. Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All EU Action Plan: 'Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil', COM/2021/400 final, 12 May 2021, accessed 5 August 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0400&qid=1623311742827.

[14] European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Bringing nature back into our lives’, COM/2020/380 final, 20 May 2020, accessed on 5 August 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52020DC0380.

[15] European Parliament, Council of the European Union, ‘Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869’, 29 July 2024, accessed on 5 August 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1991&qid=1722240349976.

[16] European Commission, ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Green Infrastructure (GI) — Enhancing Europe’s Natural Capital’, COM/2013/0249 final, 6 May 2013, accessed on 5 August 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52013DC0249.

[17] European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, ‘European Water Resilience Strategy’, 3 June 2025, accessed on 5 August 2025, https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-water-resilience-strategy_en.

[18] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Construction ecosystem actors^[1] are better aware of the negative effects of construction and renovation sites on natural ecosystems as well as on the health and well-being of construction workers and all people living, working or passing through the vicinity.
• Significant reduction of negative effects of construction and renovation sites on natural ecosystems, health and well-being of construction workers and all people living, working or passing through the vicinity.

Scope:

Construction and renovation sites can significantly contribute to environmental degradation through noise, air pollution, litter and waste. They also cause other disturbances such as soil compaction, dust emissions, water contamination, or vibration that can negatively impact surrounding natural ecosystems and biodiversity but also the health and well-being of construction workers and all people living, working or passing through the vicinity. Moreover, construction and renovation sites are often visually unappealing and poorly integrated into their surrounding environment, which can create a sense of disruption and negatively affect the well-being of nearby residents and all people living, working or passing through the vicinity.

Yet, construction ecosystem actors, such as urban planners, architects, project developers, and construction site managers, are often unaware of the full extent of these negative effects on natural ecosystems, the environment and human health and well-being, or unable to mitigate them. As a result, these negative effects are rarely given adequate consideration. There is a need to better understand these negative effects and develop solutions that reduce them.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following:

• Assess the negative environmental, ecological and health effects of construction and renovation sites on surrounding natural ecosystems, construction workers and all people living, working or passing through the vicinity.
• Develop at least two solutions to reduce the negative environmental, ecological and health effects of construction and renovation sites while also paying attention to the visual impact of these sites on their surroundings.
• Validate the proposed solution and assess their costs and benefits using appropriate methods and indicators.
• Provide recommendations and guidance to construction ecosystem actors on how to reduce the negative environmental, ecological and health effects of construction and renovation sites and develop a draft "European Charter for sound environmental and working environment management of renovation and construction sites" that can be endorsed by companies and entities.

Proposals are expected to follow a participatory^[2] and transdisciplinary approach^[1] through the integration of different actors and disciplines.

This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH)^[1] disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals are expected to allocate at least 0.8% of their budget for engaging with the Horizon Europe-funded 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' to share their intermediate and final results, findings and learning, as well as to contribute to impact assessment.

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[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[2] See definition of “participatory process” in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.

[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP26-27.