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[1] actors across Europe and beyond have access to evidence-based guidance and recommendations to support public participation in the green transition[1] of neighbourhoods, including their nature-positive[3] transformation.
• Co-governance[1] approaches aligned with NEB help balance interests, power and knowledge asymmetries and adopt more-than-human[1] 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 enhancing 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[1]. 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.

Trimmed here, the full scope, expected outcomes and award criteria are on the official topic page ↗.