Inspired by Turin: Exploring Local Implementation of NEB

The NEBA project continues to foster cross-regional collaboration, inspiring cities to embed beauty, sustainability, and togetherness in urban development. Building on this vision, Belgian partners from the city of Geel organised a local stakeholder meeting following their study visit to Turin—a pioneering city in the New European Bauhaus (NEB) movement.

Inspiration from Turin

Turin has played a key role in the NEB initiative from the outset, notably by drafting a city-wide NEB Manifesto. This document serves as a shared commitment to NEB values and a guide for integrating them into urban policy. Inspired by this approach, the city of Geel is now exploring the creation of its own NEB Manifesto to contextualise the principles of beauty, participation, and sustainability within its local planning framework.

Key Points from the Stakeholder Meeting

During the stakeholder meeting, participants reflected on the insights from Turin and explored how to adapt them to the Geel context:

• NEB Manifesto for Geel: The group discussed using a locally developed NEB Manifesto as a policy tool to unify stakeholders around a shared vision. This could be shaped through public discussions and structured around six guiding principles derived from Turin: beauty as a driver, reconnection with nature, rediscovering local identity, proximity, sustainability, and inclusive dialogue.

• Community Engagement: Inspired by Turin’s CO-CITY project and its “Caring for the City” campaign, stakeholders considered how Geel might further activate local communities. The idea of mobilising citizens through volunteer agreements, similar to Belgium’s Mooimakers initiative, resonated strongly.

• Policy Instrument Improvement: A key goal of the NEBA project is to enhance local policy instruments. The NEB Manifesto, combined with cross-project integration, was highlighted as a strategic way to link the city’s vision for spatial development with citizen participation and sustainability goals.

• Synergy Between European Projects: The City of Geel is currently involved in four European initiatives: NEBA (urban development), MaaSolutions (mobility), CITISENSE (security and community building), and INNOVADE (digital participation). Stakeholders discussed opportunities for these projects to interact and reinforce one another, creating a cohesive approach to sustainable urban transformation.

Next Steps

The meeting concluded with a roadmap for future action. First, the city will explore becoming an official NEB Friend—joining a growing European community committed to the movement’s values. Then, Geel will begin drafting its own NEB Manifesto through inclusive public sessions. Lastly, the city will work on strengthening connections between ongoing European projects to create a unified communication strategy and implementation framework.

With inspiration from Turin and a growing network of engaged partners, the City of Geel is taking meaningful steps toward embedding NEBA principles into its urban policy and public life.