New European Bauhaus (NEB)

Scope

European Scope

Released by

European Commission

Link

https://europa.eu/new-european-bauhaus/about/about-initiative_en

In 1 sentence

A movement promoting sustainability, beauty, and inclusion in Europe’s built environment and urban development.

Published year

2020

Overview

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a flagship initiative of the European Union, launched in 2021 by the European Commission as a creative and interdisciplinary movement to support the European Green Deal. Its central aim is to shape a future that is sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful by transforming the built environment and the ways people live, work, and interact across Europe.

Origins and Inspiration

The NEB draws its name and inspiration from the original Bauhaus school, founded in Weimar, Germany, in 1919 by Walter Gropius. The early Bauhaus was revolutionary for integrating art, craft, and technology, and for its focus on functional, people-centred design. The NEB updates this legacy for the 21st century, emphasising the need to address today's social, environmental, and cultural challenges through a similarly holistic, cross-disciplinary approach.

The initiative was first announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union address. She described the NEB as the "soul of the Green Deal," intended to give the EU's climate-neutrality ambitions a tangible, human-centred, and culturally resonant dimension. The NEB is not just about environmental or economic transformation, but about fostering a new European cultural project that matches sustainability with style and social inclusion.

Core Values and Working Principles

At the heart of the NEB are three inseparable core values:

Sustainability: Emphasising climate goals, circular economy, biodiversity, and energy efficiency throughout the life cycle of buildings and infrastructure.
Aesthetics: Prioritising quality of experience, beauty, and cultural expression-moving beyond mere functionality in design.
Inclusion: Ensuring accessibility, affordability, and participation for all, with a focus on social cohesion and leaving no one behind.

These values are operationalised through three working principles:

Participatory processes: Engaging citizens, professionals, and stakeholders in co-design and decision-making.
Multi-level engagement: Connecting local, regional, national, and EU-level actors.
Transdisciplinary approach: Bridging disciplines such as architecture, engineering, art, technology, and social sciences.

Policy Framework and Implementation

The NEB functions as both a policy and funding framework. It is embedded within the broader European Green Deal and closely linked to the EU's Renovation Wave strategy, which aims to double renovation rates and improve energy and resource efficiency in the built environment by 2030.

Key elements of the NEB policy framework include:

Funding and Support: The NEB is supported by a dedicated funding tool-the NEB Facility (2025–2027)-anchored in Horizon Europe and other EU programmes. This facility provides substantial funding for research, innovation, and the scaling of sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful solutions in neighbourhoods and communities.
Thematic Axes: Implementation is guided by four thematic axes:

Reconnecting with nature
Regaining a sense of belonging
Prioritising the places and people most in need
Fostering circular, life-cycle thinking in the industrial ecosystem

Community Engagement: The NEB emphasises grassroots involvement, supporting local projects and citizen-driven initiatives. Platforms like the NEB LAB and EIT Community NEB serve as think-and-do tanks, connecting innovators, public authorities, and communities to share ideas and best practices.
Integration with Other Policies: The NEB aligns with EU directives on energy efficiency and building performance, circular economy action plans, and green public procurement criteria, ensuring a comprehensive and synergistic approach to transforming the built environment.

Current Relevance in Europe's Built Environment

The NEB is now a central driver of the EU's efforts to make the green transition tangible and desirable for citizens. It is influencing urban regeneration, housing, and infrastructure projects across Europe, from flagship neighbourhood redevelopments in cities like Munich to smaller, community-led initiatives in rural and peri-urban areas.

Key impacts and ongoing activities include:

Revitalisation of Existing Neighbourhoods: Projects like "Creating NEBourhoods Together" in Munich demonstrate how the NEB supports sustainable, socially just, and environmentally friendly urban renewal.
Capacity Building: The NEB Academy and other educational initiatives are fostering new skills in sustainable construction and design.
Policy Innovation: The NEB is shaping new standards and assessment tools for sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics in the built environment.
Cultural and Social Transformation: By integrating design, culture, and social innovation, the NEB is helping to create a shared European identity and sense of belonging, while also tackling challenges like climate change, social inequality, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Conclusion

The New European Bauhaus represents a paradigm shift in European policy, placing beauty, sustainability, and inclusion at the core of the green transition. It is a living, evolving movement that seeks to mobilise citizens, professionals, and policymakers to co-create the future of Europe's built environment-making the Green Deal not only a technical or economic transformation, but a deeply cultural and human one.