Bring Nature Home

Transforming urban spaces through biophilic design to reconnect communities with nature

Project description

The “Bring Nature Home” project is a concrete manifestation of New European Bauhaus (NEB) values and principles, addressing innovative ways of urban regeneration through community involvement and the adoption of biophilic design.

The project proposes an alternative to mainstream urban regeneration practices, forging re-connecting people with nature. By bringing in people of all ages (kids, teenagers, adults and pensioners) to identify problems and propose solutions the project will offer the opportunity to create a strong community and facilitate knowledge exchange between generations.

The space is located on Bistrița Street No 8, Alexandru cel Bun neighborhood, in the city of Iași, Romania. A specific area of intervention was deliberately not chosen as in order to achieve our aim – to make everything participatory and to create a community – we had to let the participants choose a specific area. Thus, we considered two areas: the study area, i.e. the macro area where all the project activities took place, which measured about 400 sqm and was represented by the space behind blocks A1-A8 and the micro area, the actual space set up in the Bring Nature Home project, which measured about 40 sqm, i.e. about 10% of the macro area.

Objectives and goals of the project

To empower residents of Iași to actively contribute to the design and improvement of their local urban spaces. Foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among community members, encouraging them to actively participate in the urban design process.

Facilitate meaningful intergenerational dialogue among children, teenagers, adults, and pensioners. Bridge the generational gap by providing a platform for knowledge exchange, ensuring that the design reflects the diverse needs and perspectives of all age groups.

Integrate biophilic design principles into the urban fabric to enhance the quality of the environment. Showcase the benefits of incorporating natural elements, fostering biodiversity, and improving overall well-being.

Develop an inclusive co-design framework accessible to all stakeholders involved in urban development. Create a handbook that is user-friendly, providing practical guidance for implementing participatory and inclusive urban design processes.

Develop a replicable framework that can be scaled and adapted to different urban contexts. Enable other municipalities and communities to utilize the handbook as a model for implementing participatory and nature-centric urban design initiatives.

Align urban design efforts with sustainability goals at the local, national, and EU levels. Demonstrate how the BNH initiative contributes to broader sustainability objectives, emphasizing the use of climate-adapted plants and environmentally friendly tools.

Facilitate knowledge exchange between different stakeholders, including local authorities, landscape architects, NGOs, and civil society. Encourage collaboration and collective efforts toward creating sustainable and resilient urban spaces.

Strengthen community identity by involving residents in the design and regeneration of their public spaces. Establish a shared sense of belonging and pride in the transformed urban environment.

Methodology of intervention

Our approach pivots on the active engagement of the community throughout the entire intervention – from preliminary needs assessments to collaborative design, seamless implementation and sustained maintenance. By fostering partnerships with stakeholders, embracing creative expression and conducting iterative design processes, the aim is not only to enhance the physical aspects of public spaces but also to cultivate a strong sense of community ownership and pride
1. Project Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
2. Community Workshops and Peer Learning Activities
3.Design and Planning
4. Implementation
5. Monitoring, Evaluation and Feedback

Results

Through the project, a transformation concept was developed, put into practice as a temporary design proposal and translated into a replicable framework in the form of a handbook that could be used by relevant actors for the regeneration of underutilized urban spaces.

At its heart, the handbook is a tool designed to empower vibrant communities based on the example of Bring Nature Home, the pilot project implemented in the city of Iași, Romania between June and October 2023 and funded by EIT Urban Mobility. It seeks to instill a sense of ownership and agency within residents, transcending passive observer roles to active contributors in the reshaping of their urban surroundings. By equipping individuals with knowledge and practical insights, the handbook becomes a catalyst for community-driven change.

Simultaneously, the handbook serves as a , offering valuable insights for decision-makers dealing with the intricate balance between development and preservation. Its primary aim is to facilitate collaboration between local authorities and community members, providing essential guidance for creating a cohesive and inclusive dialogue that embraces diverse perspectives within the community.

This project is supported by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
EIT Urban Mobility acts to accelerate positive change on mobility to make urban spaces more liveable. Learn more: eiturbanmobility.eu