The Lorquí City Council has assumed coordination of a European project called LIFE SeedNEB, in which a total of eight partners from different European countries are participating.
Among these partners are three municipalities: Lorquí in Spain, Potenza in Italy, and Dunaújváros in Hungary.
Additionally, two universities contribute to the effort: the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II in Italy.
The consortium also includes entities specializing in various fields, such as the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE), the landscaping company SingularGreen, and the consulting firm EuroVértice, known for leading LIFE projects based on the New European Bauhaus (NEB).
Project Objectives with the New European Bauhaus Approach
The main objective of LIFE SeedNEB is to demonstrate that nature-based solutions (NBS) combined with the New European Bauhaus approach can generate multiple benefits in the urban environment, improving biodiversity and, consequently, the quality of life for citizens. Planned strategies include the installation of vertical gardens and green roofs in various municipal spaces of the three participating towns.
Funding
The project has a total budget of €3,134,372, of which the European Union subsidizes 60% (€1,880,623) through the LIFE Environment Program. This funding will enable the implementation of innovative interventions in key buildings such as the Enrique Tierno Galván Cultural Center in Lorquí, a block of 40 apartments in Dunaújváros, and the Leonardo Sinisgalli school in Potenza, as well as other urban spaces.
Strategies and Interventions
The LIFE SeedNEB project, which will begin in July 2024, will focus on beautifying the participating cities through the integration of NBS.
These solutions will not only beautify public spaces but will also extend to private spaces.
To facilitate this expansion, a Biodiversity Office, a Citizen School, and a NEB Ambassador will be created in each municipality.
LIFE SeedNEB
- Biodiversity Office: Will promote and support the use of NBS by private entities.
- Citizen School: Will mobilize the population through workshops and activities coordinated with local associations, encouraging the use of NBS and citizen monitoring of their impacts.
- NEB Ambassador: Will coordinate the co-creation process in the participating municipalities, promoting citizen participation.
Impact of the Project Based on the New European Bauhaus
The urban interventions of the project will be accompanied by an intense monitoring program of environmental and social indicators to measure their impact. In addition, a holistic analysis of the integration of sustainability, beauty, and inclusion aspects will be carried out, thus validating the application of the NEB approach.
The LIFE SeedNEB project will have numerous benefits, including:
- Biodiversity: Creation of green surfaces that will benefit 23 bird species, various pollinators, and 20 species of bats.
- Environment: Improvements in air quality, noise reduction, and lower ambient temperature, with green surfaces acting as carbon sinks and reducing energy use in buildings.
- Society: Public acceptance and social appreciation of the created structures, such as the Biodiversity Office, NEB Ambassador, and Citizen School.
Coordination and Achievements
The Lorquí City Council is leading this European project for the first time, having previously participated as a partner in the LIFECityAdapt3 project, which has received an excellent rating and will be presented at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels.
This new leadership role in LIFE SeedNEB reflects Lorquí’s growing capacity to manage complex European projects and its commitment to urban sustainability and biodiversity.
With a duration of four years, LIFE SeedNEB promises to transform the urban environments of Lorquí, Potenza, and Dunaújváros, improving the quality of life of their inhabitants and contributing to environmental sustainability within the framework of the New European Bauhaus.
