LIFE SeedNEB – Beautifying Cities through Nature. A Nature-Based Approach to the New European Bauhaus Framework for Sustainable Urban Regeneration
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Abstract
The LIFE SeedNEB project explores the potential of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as an integrated instrument for urban regeneration, interpreting the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles—beauty, sustainability, and inclusion—as the foundation of a renewed design culture. The research demonstrates that urban “embellishment” is not a merely aesthetic or secondary value, but rather a systemic indicator of well-being and resilience, capable of combining ecological quality, social cohesion, and territorial attractiveness.
Through a multiscale and transdisciplinary approach, the project tests replicable solutions in three European cities—Lorquí, Dunaújváros, and Potenza—analyzing the environmental, microclimatic, and perceptual effects generated by green roofs and façades, permeable pavements, and participatory processes. The results highlight significant reductions in emissions and energy consumption, increased biodiversity, and improved perceived quality of public spaces, confirming the strategic value of NBS as social and ecological infrastructures.
However, the study also identifies several limitations related to sample size, KPI validation, and the lack of comparable metrics for assessing aesthetic and social co-benefits. The research concludes by proposing to extend experimentation to more diverse climatic and morphological contexts, to develop interoperable monitoring tools, and to integrate NBS-derived benefits into public budgets, with the ultimate goal of transforming local practices into structural policies for sustainable urban regeneration.
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