The challenges
European city centres are changing. Over the last few decades, they have been resource-intensive centres of consumption. Social interaction was strongly linked to consumption. With the growth of online retail, consumption is now increasingly shifting from stationary shops to the digital sphere. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has weakened bricks-and-mortar retail, forcing numerous shops to close. City centres are therefore increasingly experiencing a loss of use and importance.
In contrast, alternative and sustainable consumption models (second-hand shops, borrowing, swapping, repairing, etc.) are on the rise, leading to a more circular economy and sufficiency. However, due to the current environment, these models usually only remain a niche option and are at best only perceived by “interested parties”. Consumers currently lack central and easily accessible options for alternative and circular forms of consumption.
Who and what is “NiCE”?
The project “NiCE: from niche to centre – city centres as places of circular lifestyles” brings these two challenges together. A transformation of central locations in cities will make it easier for their residents to implement sustainable lifestyles. At the same time, city centres can be revitalised in a circular and sustainable way. This is because sustainable products and services often shift the focus from purely material needs to immaterial needs and thus to the functions of city centres, which need to be strengthened in terms of sustainable city centre development: Housing, leisure, culture, mobility, but also community and the experience of self-efficacy.
A total of nine project partners from eight countries are involved in the project. In addition to the UBA as lead partner these are: ENVIROS from the Czech Republic, StadtLABOR from Austria, the Bistra Scientific Research Centre from Slovenia, the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development (ENEA) from Italy, the University of Budapest for Technology and Economics from Hungary, Creative Industry Košice from Slovakia, and the Pro-Akademia Research and Innovation Centre and the City of Brzeg Dolny from Poland.
The project is funded by the EU Interreg programme for Central Europe and will run from May 2023 to April 2026.
Course of the project
Period 3: May 2024 – October 2024
Information to follow...
Period 2: November 2023 – April 2024
A big milestone for the project was the finalisation of the strategy framework for circular lifestyles in cities and city centres. The final document shows ways to promote and establish these lifestyles. It serves as a guide for local and regional authorities wishing to promote the implementation of circular lifestyles in their cities and regions. The strategy framework was based on the synthesis reports compiled from the 8 partner countries on the needs of city stakeholders and on local and national policy conditions in relation to circular lifestyles.
During the third partner meeting in March 24 in Košice, Slovakia, a workshop on the strategy framework was organised with external experts from all 8 partner countries. The discussions and additions from the workshop were incorporated into the further development of the document. Following the workshop, the experts were invited to take part in a study visit. The study visit showed good examples in Košice regarding the reutilisation of vacant spaces and buildings to strengthen circular lifestyles.
At the second partner meeting in Bologna, Italy, in November 2023, the project consortium already became more involved in the further development of its own project pilots. UBA is working closely with the Czech tandem partner Enviros. The partner meeting in Bologna was also linked to a visit to the ECOMONDO trade fair in Rimini. Here, the project consortium was able to exchange ideas with various stakeholders, for example with the Vice-President for Circular Economy of the Italian environmental authority ENEA or representatives of the Green City Network and the regional greentech cluster.
Period 1: May – October 2023
At the start of the project, the project consortium met for the first time in Budapest, Hungary, in May. The meeting was organised by the Hungarian partner, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, in close cooperation with the UBA. The meeting laid the foundations for the first activities and also for cooperation within the project.
The first task was to create a scientific basis for further work. To this end, the partners produced two synthesis reports for each country. The reports deal with the status quo of circular lifestyles in city centres and the needs of cities and their residents. For this, all partners collected information with the help of interviews, surveys or workshops. In addition, relevant stakeholders and political measures for circular lifestyles in city centres were recorded in each country. The information from all partner countries will be compiled into two reports in the second project period.
Furthermore, all project partners have provided three to six good examples from their country in the following four categories: 1. Circular lifestyles, 2. Methods, 3. Sustainable business models, 4. Urban regeneration. The good examples will be presented in an online exhibition from the end of 2024 and are intended to inspire others to follow suit.
In October 2023, UBA presented the project in a workshop during the EU Regions Week.
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