CrAFt: Reflections on Collaborative Governance and the Future of NEB

On 7 March 2025, the final day of Shaping Sustainable Futures, dedicated to the EU project CrAFt, took place in Brussels. The event gathered 117 participants from across Europe to discuss the role of collaborative governance in sustainable urban development and reflect on the project’s achievements.

The day began with an edible exhibition by Taiwanese-born artist Rain Wu, offering snacks prepared with vegetables and herbs collected from a nearby forest—an artistic and sensory exploration of nature’s resources that aligns with the NEB principles of sustainability, aesthetics, and a deeper connection between people and their environment.

This was followed by opening remarks from CrAFt’s project coordinator Annemie Wyckmans (NTNU), the EU’s policy officer Laura Hetel (DG RTD, European Commission), and Katherine Weir, CrAFt’s project manager (NTNU), who outlined CrAFt’s achievements over the past three years and the lessons learned in supporting cities on their path to climate neutrality.

The morning’s central focus was on how different municipalities have integrated NEB principles into their urban strategies. Representatives from CrAFt’s Sandbox Cities— Amsterdam, Prague, and Bologna—shared insights from their experiences, showcasing diverse approaches to grassroots initiatives, citizen engagement, and collaborative governance models.

Amsterdam presented several pilot projects selected by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), demonstrating different approaches to sustainable urban development. Stan Majoor (AUAS) and Federica Colombo (AUAS, Locality) discussed: The Green Mile, a project transforming a key road into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly space; Marineterrein, an experimental area for innovative urban solutions; Sluislab, a city lab to explore urban development; and cultural free spaces such as Groene Veld, which provide room for creative and community-driven initiatives.

Prague showcased its NEB partners model, demonstrating how collaboration between local government, businesses, and research institutions can drive innovation. Klára Zámečníková (Czech Technical University in Prague – CVUT) and Denisa Pevná (OICT Prague) also introduced the NEB Innovation Team, a multidisciplinary team created during CrAFt that will continue operating beyond the project. This initiative has inspired the formation of additional multidisciplinary thematic teams within Prague’s municipality, fostering long-term collaboration across departments.

Bologna highlighted the importance of citizen involvement in urban transformation. Mauro Bigi (Fondazione IU Rusconi Ghigi) and Konstantina Douka (UNIBO) introduced two key initiatives within the NEB context: Cultural Centre DUMBO, a hub for creativity, community engagement, and sustainable urban projects; and Bologna’s Climate Citizen’s Assembly, a participatory governance model enabling residents to contribute to decision-making processes for urban development. These initiatives illustrate Bologna’s approach to co-creation and public participation in shaping the city’s future.

Following this, Irene Garofalo (ELIA) introduced a session featuring the CrAFt Core Group of Students. Anastasia Kocheva and Ceylan Ergelen shared how international student groups were integrated into CrAFt through STEAM Teams and Think/Do Tanks. Their contributions underscored the need for greater youth engagement in shaping sustainable cities.

The latter part of the day focused on what comes after CrAFt, with a discussion on the NEB Relay 2025, an initiative aimed at consolidating and sharing knowledge from different NEB-related projects. Vanessa Hannesschläger from Ars Electronica presented how their organisation integrates science, technology, and art through a sustainability-focused approach. Maria Marrugat from EIT Urban Mobility introduced the EIT Community NEB, a collaboration of several EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) that explore, test, and scale up concepts for future ways of living, with citizen participation at its core. Helene Elliott outlined NEB-STAR’s approach to stakeholder engagement and citizen involvement.

Judith Borsboom (Locality) and Katherine Weir (NTNU) presented CrAFt’s methodology for compiling case studies and writing the project’s key publications: the CrAFt Cookbook, the NEB Pocket Guide, and the CrAFt Book. They also invited the audience to contribute to the CrAFt Book, which will be published in April 2025. If you are interested in sharing case studies, experiences, or insights, please contact CrAFt.