University of Bath-led team aims to shape sustainable neighbourhoods of the future

A University of Bath-led research project looking at how to create more sustainable, liveable and climate-resilient neighbourhoods has received €8m (£6.87m) in funding.

The four-year, pan-European and Canadian project aims to help create neighbourhoods that cope better with droughts, flooding and extreme weather while reducing costs, improving public spaces and supporting community wellbeing.

Based on data gathered from 14 European case study cities, the team – led by researchers from Bath’s Centre for Regenerative Design & Engineering for a Net Positive World, will develop a ‘digital twin’ of a neighbourhood that allows users to model and evaluate their designs.

This tool will collect information of water use, carbon emissions, building materials and social aspects of an urban area.

Residents will then be able to explore and shape potential designs using immersive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools, helping communities play a more active role in planning decisions.

The project is guided by the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus initiative and brings together 15 partners from Europe and Canada.

The €8m grant has come through the Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.

Drawing on expertise across engineering, architecture, urban planning and sustainability, the consortium will help create neighbourhoods that cope better with droughts, flooding and extreme weather while reducing costs, improving public spaces and supporting community wellbeing.

Prof Jan Holman, co-lead of the project and co-director of the Water Innovation and Research Consortium at Bath, said: “Across Europe, communities are facing the impacts of climate change, from flooding and water scarcity to rising energy demands.

“This project is an exciting opportunity to help planners and residents work together to design neighbourhoods that are healthier, more resilient and better prepared for future challenges.

“By combining innovative digital tools with local knowledge, we want to make it easier to create places that support both people and the environment.”

Dr Sara Biscaya, who is also co-leading the project, added: “By bringing together communities and experts from across Europe, we can learn from different places, climates and cultures while developing regenerative approaches that respond to local needs, identities and ways of living.

“Regenerative design is not only about reducing the environmental impact of buildings, but also about understanding neighbourhoods as connected social and ecological systems, and designing them so that communities, biodiversity and natural resources can thrive together.”

Five demonstrator neighbourhoods will showcase how the approach can be adapted to different climates and local challenges, from northern European cities managing heavy rainfall to southern regions facing water scarcity and extreme heat.

The University of Bath will lead on the modelling and analysis underpinning the digital twin platform and coordinate its demonstration across the five demonstrator locations.

Consortium partners from University of Salford and the Greek Institute of Communications and Computer Systems will contribute by the development of twin technology and immersive AR/VR interfaces.

Other consortium partners will bring in expertise around water management, urban design, co-creation with local communities, and sustainability.

By making the tools and training freely available, the consortium aims to enable cities and communities across Europe to apply the lessons learned and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable, climate-resilient and inclusive neighbourhoods.