urban development

City centres have long been characterised by high levels of consumption. They now face major changes due to online retailing, the aftermath of COVID19 and the climate crisis. The UBA coordinated EU Interreg project “NiCE – from niche to centre”, started in May 2023. The project aims to take advantage of these changes and make city centres more attractive again by offering sustainable options.

Presenting the global roadmap for sustainable urban development over the next twenty years: the New Urban Agenda. It is the key outcome of the UN Habitat III Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development which ended on 20 October 2016 in the Ecuadorean capital Quito.

Land take for settlement and transport is set to decrease to 30 hectares per day by 2020. To achieve this goal, municipal inner development needs to be strengthened and rendered more appealing. Revitalization and reuse of brownfields (brownfield redevelopment) are key in this regard.