NAIDER and Errenteria Town Council, along with an international consortium of 14 partners, have submitted the ROOTS proposal (Regenerative Open Operations, Tools & Standards for Neighbourhood Systemic Regeneration) to the HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-REGEN-01 European call for proposals. If selected, the initiative will be developed over the next three years, turning Galtzaraborda and other European neighbourhoods into benchmarks for regenerative design on an urban scale.
ROOTS proposes a new approach to transforming existing neighbourhoods, based on evidence, citizen participation and measurable results in terms of comfort, biodiversity, water, energy and well-being. The project is centred on an Urban Living Lab in Galtzaraborda that will facilitate continuous co-creation and urban experimentation by connecting citizens, local businesses, administrations and universities. Dublin and Matera will join the main demonstrator as follower cities, enabling the method to be validated in different climatic and administrative contexts.
The consortium will develop a European catalogue of regenerative solutions, as well as an operational tool to help local councils base their decisions on impact indicators, life cycle costs, and evidence relating to carbon, water, indoor health, and biodiversity. Additionally, ROOTS will publish open data, public dashboards and replication manuals so that other cities can adopt the approach without starting from scratch.
Aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus — beauty, sustainability and inclusion — the proposal aims to set a European standard for systemic neighbourhood regeneration. It will demonstrate how to intervene while respecting local identity and improving the daily lives of existing residents.
Picture: Vaumm
