Researchers from the University of Bath’s Centre for Regenerative Design & Engineering for a Net Positive World (RENEW) are leading a consortium awarded an €8 million Horizon Europe grant to develop practical tools and a transferable framework for creating more sustainable, liveable and climate-resilient neighbourhoods.
The four-year project, RENEW-Futures: Regenerative design for Beautiful, Inclusive and Ecological Neighbourhoods, is guided by the European Commission's New European Bauhaus initiative and brings together 15 partners from Europe and Canada.
Drawing on expertise across engineering, architecture, urban planning and sustainability, the consortium will help create neighbourhoods that cope better with droughts, flooding and extreme weather while reducing costs, improving public spaces and supporting community wellbeing.
Professor Jan Hofman, co-lead of the project and Co-Director of the Water Innovation and Research Consortium at Bath, said: “Across Europe, communities are facing the impacts of climate change, from flooding and water scarcity to rising energy demands.
“This project is an exciting opportunity to help planners and residents work together to design neighbourhoods that are healthier, more resilient and better prepared for future challenges. By combining innovative digital tools with local knowledge, we want to make it easier to create places that support both people and the environment.”
Creating a digital twin
Based on data gathered from 14 European case study cities, the project team will develop a ‘digital twin’ of a neighbourhood that allows users to model and evaluate their designs.
The Regenerative Neighbourhood Design Tool will model water use, carbon emissions, building materials and social aspects of a neighbourhood. Residents will then be able to explore and shape potential designs using immersive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools, helping communities play a more active role in planning decisions.
Dr Sara Biscaya, Director of Studies for Architecture and co-lead on the project, said: “By bringing together communities and experts from across Europe, we can learn from different places, climates and cultures while developing regenerative approaches that respond to local needs, identities and ways of living.
“Regenerative design is not only about reducing the environmental impact of buildings, but also about understanding neighbourhoods as connected social and ecological systems, and designing them so that communities, biodiversity and natural resources can thrive together.”
Five demonstrator neighbourhoods will showcase how the approach can be adapted to different climates and local challenges, from northern European cities managing heavy rainfall to southern regions facing water scarcity and extreme heat.
The University of Bath will lead on the modelling and analysis underpinning the digital twin platform and coordinate its demonstration across the five demonstrator locations. Consortium partners from University of Salford and the Greek Institute of Communications and Computer Systems will contribute by the development of twin technology and immersive AR/VR interfaces. Other consortium partners will bring in expertise around water management, urban design, co-creation with local communities, and sustainability.
By making the tools and training freely available, the consortium aims to enable cities and communities across Europe to apply the lessons learned and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable, climate-resilient and inclusive neighbourhoods.