The transformative potential of co-governance in the green transition of neighbourhoods

Expected outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Policy makers, local administrations and neighbourhood actors across Europe and beyond have access to evidence-based guidance and recommendations to support public participation in the green transition of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive transformation. Co-governance approaches aligned with NEB help balance interests, power and knowledge asymmetries and adopt more-than-human approaches at the neighbourhood level; and inform policy, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks at the national and EU levels.

Scope

Public participation in the governance of the green transition of neighbourhoods presents an opportunity to improving inhabitant’s quality of life while addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. For instance, co-governance may contribute to enhancin g representation, legitimacy, transparency and accountability, but also to balancing interests, flattening knowledge hierarchies, fostering inclusion and equity, and building a more balanced human-nature relationship. However, despite robust evidence, the connection between culture and democracy remains underused in co-governance approaches. As platforms for civic participation, cultural institutions and actors can have a key role in fostering engagement and cohesion among diverse participants and communities . Digital tools (such as AI-supported participatory platforms, open data environments, and interactive modelling systems) can facilitate co-governance by enabling real-time feedback, broader engagement, and evidence-based decision making. This topic will investigate how co-governance can support a fair green transition in neighbourhoods while also provoking positive changes in society, culture, the arts, the natural environment as well as the public perception and reputation of those neighbourhoods. Proposals are expected to address all of the following: Refine and demonstrate co-governance approaches in at least ten neighbourhoods. The selected neighbourhoods are expected to be located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries, as well as comprise a variety of contexts (i.e. urban, peri-urban and rural areas) and experiences (i.e. neighbourhoods with and without experience in public participation in governance of transition processes). Ensure that the co-governance approaches facilitate the inclusive, cultural, environmental and sustainable development of neighbourhoods by: Giving nature a voice, using more-than-human approaches, and addressing climate, biodiversity, and pollution challenges. Balancing interests, power and knowledge asymmetries among the different neighbourhood actors (e.g. inhabitants, real estate developers, cultural institutions, social economy actors, businesses, etc.). Empowering inhabitants (especially groups in a vulnerable situation and/or marginalised) to actively participate, in the green transition in their neighbourhood. Making use of digital technologies (such as civic tech, open data platforms, other participatory digital tools) for all neighbourhood actors to make participatory processes more inclusive, transparent, accessible and efficient. Engaging cultural actors and making use of informal and local forms of knowledge systems (such as those embedded in cultural heritage, communities, etc.). Evaluate and compare the extent to which the demonstrated co-governance approaches effectively and measurably deliver on the aspects listed under the previous point.

What this means for cities and regions

Local administrations and neighbourhood actors, with cultural institutions as platforms for participation. Topic budget €10.76 million; 2 grants expected; around €5.38 million per project. Opens 5 May 2027; closes 1 December 2027. Limited direct space angle; neighbourhood-scale green and heat maps can inform the participation process.